LAHORE, Oct 2: Jamaat-i-Islami’s Hafiz Salman Butt claims he is the joint candidate of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and the PML-N for NA-118.
Speaking at a news conference along with Punjab PML-N secretary-general Khwaja Saad Rafiq here on Wednesday, he said both the PML-N and the MMA had taken a final decision on the issue on Sept 30 but a confusion was being created due to various press statements in this regard.
He said legal action against JUI-F’s Hafiz Abdul Wadood would be taken after elections for his refusal to return the MMA ticket earlier allotted to him but later withdrawn after adjustments with the League.
He said the PML-N would participate in the Oct 4 public meeting of the MMA being held at the Minar-i-Pakistan while the latter would attend the former’s public meeting being organized at the Attique Stadium on Oct 8.
He believed that only a handful workers of the JUI-F were rigid on the adjustment issue. He, however, said that efforts were on to win over the hearts of the “annoyed friends.”
Blaming the JUI-F for taking a firm stance on the issue, Saad Rafiq said they were ready to withdraw Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmad from PP-150 against JUI-F’s Maulana Mohibbun Nabi but it refused to retire its candidates from the other constituencies as required under the adjustment deal.
He said the change of election symbol of Mr Butt from tiger to star would not affect Mr Butt’s position as he would secure the anti-government and anti-Azhar vote in the constituency.
He said the symbol had to be changed for technical reasons.
He said PML-N president Mian Shahbaz Sharif had talked to Mr Butt by phone minutes before the press conference and assured him that all party units and workers had been directed to work for his success against Mian Azhar.
JI amir Qazi Husain Ahmad will approach JUI-F president Maulana Fazlur Rahman by phone late Wednesday night or Thursday morning to ask him to restrain the Lahore leadership of his party from supporting independent candidates in different constituencies against JI and PML-N nominees.