PML-N MPA to contest election as independent

MANSEHRA: Due to the differences in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the district, Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Saleh Muhammad Khan has decided to contest the upcoming election against Federal Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Mohammad Yousuf in the NA-13 constituency as an independent candidate.

According to party sources, the differences emerged after Saleh Mohammad, an MPA from Mansehra, refused to contest on the PML-N ticket from the provincial assembly constituencies, PK-32 or PK-34. He reportedly informed the party high-ups that he would run independently from NA-13 Mansehra-1 against the party’s MNA Sardar Mohammad Yousuf, who is presently a federal minister, or his son Sardar Shahjehan Yousuf, who too has remained an MNA in the past

“It is confirmed that Saleh Muhammad is going to contest the general election from NA-13, but we still have to decide whether to seek the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) ticket or not,” a spokesman of Saleh Muhammad told reporters on Saturday.

Asked why he developed differences with the party, the spokesman said that whatever had happened to him would be made public at an appropriate time.

Zafar Mehmood, the district president of PML-N, confirmed that Saleh Muhammad was having differences with the party. However, he insisted that Saleh Muhammad was still part of the PML-N.