PPP withdraws from Mirpur by-polls in support of PML-N.

MUZAFFARABAD -- The opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has announced to withdraw all of its four candidates for the upcoming by-election in Mirpur in favour of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nominee.

The decision was announced by the party's regional president, Chaudhry Latif Akbar, before the media at the residence of Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf in Mirpur on Tuesday.

Mr Ashraf, who is one of the four contestants, was likely to get PPP ticket for the by-election scheduled to be held on Nov 24

The Mirpur constituency had fallen vacant after the ruling party's lawmaker Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed, who was also a cabinet member, was disqualified by the AJK Supreme Court on charges of contempt of court on Sept 25.

Despite being a novice in electoral politics, Mr Saeed had defeated Barrister Sultan Mahmood, regional chief of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), in the July 2016 general election.

PPP had awarded its ticket to Mr Ashraf for the general election as well but he had pulled out of competition allegedly because some of the PPP leaders were supporting Mr Saeed to ensure Mr Mahmood's defeat.

Mr Akbar claimed that the PML-N leadership had requested PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to support their candidate in the by-poll under an agreement between them to support the same party in any by-election that had clinched victory from there in the general election.

He said he had...