PML-N Sindh president neglected for finalising NA-249 candidate: sources

KARACHI: The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has split into factions over finalising the name of the candidate for the NA-249 by-election in Karachi, whereas, the party’s Sindh leadership was not consulted in this regards, citing sources, ARY News reported on Monday.

The PML-N faced defeat in NA-249 by-polls due to internal differences within the party over the name of the candidate for the electoral contest in Karachi, sources told ARY News.

It emerged that the PML-N Sindh leadership had not been consulted before finalising the candidate name for the by-elections nor an electoral board was formed to receive applications and issue the party ticket.

Read: Miftah Ismail demands CEC to seize NA-249 by-election record

Moreover, PML-N Sindh President Syed Shah Mohammad Shah had completed neglected in the press conference at PML-N House which led him to take himself sidelined in the electoral activities, sources added.

The local leadership had expressed displeasure over awarding ticket to a candidate from outside the NA-249 constituency by the central leadership where the former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair expressed willingness to contest the by-polls.

Sources told ARY News that the local leadership was also annoyed over inviting the party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) president instead of Sindh president in the press conference.

Read: NA-249 by-poll result: PPP decides to oppose vote recount

Shah Mohammad Shah had reportedly vowed not to split the Sindh chapter into factions over demand of some leadership to give a separate identity to the Karachi chapter within the province, added sources.

During the by-polls, PPP’s Abdul Qadir Mandokhail had won the election by securing 16,150 votes, according to unofficial results. PML-N’s Miftah Ismail was the runner-up with 15,473 votes. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s Mufti Nazeer Kamalvi clinched the third position with 11,125 votes, followed by Mustafa Kamal of the PSP who bagged 9,227 votes.

PTI’s candidate Amjad Afridi had secured 8,922 votes while Hafiz Mursaleen of the MQM 7,511.