Seat adjustment with PMLN: IPP prepares list of NA, PA constituencies

LAHORE: Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) has prepared a list of constituencies of National and Punjab Assembly where they want to field their candidates under a possible seat adjustment with the PMLN.

Sources claimed the IPP’s committee consisting of Ishaq Khakwani, Aun Chaudhry and Nauman Langriyal has prepared the list of candidates, which will be given to the PMLN’s committee on Monday (today).

According to different media reports, IPP will demand adjustment on 20 seats of National Assembly from PMLN, out of which 19 constituencies belong to Punjab and one to Karachi. Similarly, the IPP was also desirous of seat adjustment with the PMLN in 44 constituencies of the Punjab Assembly.

Recently, PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif, along with a delegation, met Jahangir Tareen in which both the parties agreed to cooperate for seat adjustment in the upcoming elections and also formed committees.

However, sources in the IPP claimed that the figures reported by different private TV channels were exaggerated and the party will ask for seat adjustment in about 8 to 10 NA constituencies and 15 to 20 PA constituencies.

They said the main seats on which the IPP will demand seat adjustment from PMLN included the seats of Jehangir Khan Tareen, Aleem Khan, Nauman Langrial, Ishaq Khakwani and other central leaders of the IPP.

Sources in the PMLN claimed the party leadership has concerns over the seat adjustment with IPP. They said in Lahore, PMLN leader and former speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq had defeated Aleem Khan in a nail-biting battle of votes, so why PMLN will give this seat to Aleem Khan in the upcoming elections.

Similarly, IPP leader Ishaq Khan Khakwani contested general elections 2018 on PTI ticket from NA163 (Vehari) but lost the seat to PMLN candidate Syed Sajid Mehdi.

When contacted, Gohar Aziz, the spokesperson for Aleem Khan, refused to confirm the number of constituencies mentioned in media reports. He, however, said the list was prepared and will be shared with the media once both the parties agreed to it.

The scribe tried to contact the PMLN leadership, including its Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, about the seat adjustment with the IPP but most of the PMLN leaders didn’t attend the calls.