ISLAMABAD - Finally, Advocate Chaudhary Muhammad Ashraf Gujjar Tuesday succeeded to clinch the party ticket of Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) to contest the by-polls on NA-48, a National Assembly constituency of the federal capital. After securing the party ticket from PML-N leadership, Ashraf Gujjar submitted his party’s nomination certificate to the Returning Officer (RO) Shah Rukh Arjmund.
Talking to The Nation, Gujjar said that party had given him ticket after cancelling the ticket of Hanif Abbasi who was earlier nominated as party’ candidate.
On the other hand, the RO also rejected an application of PML-N’s leader Anjum Aqeel Khan against the withdrawal of his nomination papers.
Former MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan contended in his application that it was not he rather his lawyer who withdrew his nomination papers. However, the RO rejected his application saying that it is a court and not a shop while it was his lawyer who withdrew nomination papers.
Now, a total number of 22 candidates have left in the run to win the by-polls on NA-48 a National Assembly constituency of federal capital.
Earlier, some 49 aspirants had submitted their nomination papers to contest the by-polls. After scrutiny process, 46 candidates were left in the contest but later, 24 more candidates withdrew their nomination papers.  The final list of the candidates will be displayed on Wednesday (today).
Remaining candidates in the run included Chaudhary Ashraf Gujjar (PML-N), Asad Umer (PTI), Faisal Sakhi Butt (PPP), Ishaq Muhammad Asad Bhatti (PPP-Shaheed Bhutto), Ehsan-ul-Haq (JUI-F), Ghulam Rasool (Pakistan Justice Party) and Muhammad Arshad Qamar (Pakistan Freedom Party) while the independent candidates are Asia Bibi, Altaf Hussain Awan, Tasneem-ul-Haq Hasni, Hafiz Muhammad Yasin Bhatti, Husnain Ahmed, Rabnawaz Malik, Sarfraz, Syed Zia Ahmed Shah Gilani, Shah Muhammad, Abdul Rauf, Faisal Shah, Malik Muhammad Zubair Advocate, Mian Ehsan-ul-Haq and Amin Shahid Gill.