SIALKOT - The political rift between PML-N leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif and MPA Engineer Imran Ashraf have further widened, and even the Punjab and district leadership have failed to make them sink their differences.

Talking to the media, MPA Imran Ashraf admitted that he had political differences with Khawaja Asif, saying that though he was the MPA but the leadership ignored him totally and did not inform him about the March 6 visit of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to Sialkot district. He accused Khawaja Asif of halting development funds for his constituency (PP- 123) during the last five years. The exporter-turned-politician added that he had done development work in his constituency from his own pocket following the stoppage of his development funds by the provincial government on the mounted political pressure of MNA Khawaja Asif.
Tariq Mehmood, a spokesman of Khawaja Asif, denied all the allegations levelled by MPA Imran Ashraf. Imran is a three-time MPA from constituency. To a question, he clarified that he would not join the PTI, saying that he was likely to make his political decision on March 16. He made it clear that he had not yet joined the PTI or any other political party and pledged to take all of his political companions into confidence if he made the decision to defect PML-N.
According to the political pundits, if Imran joins the PTI, he could be a strong candidate of PTI against PML-N candidate Khawaja Muhammad Asif in constituency (NA 110, Sialkot-I), as Khawaja Asif is also four-time winner of MNA seat.
On the other hand, PTI Pasrur sectary general Amjad Ali Bajwa, talking to the newsmen, confirmed that the PTI provincial leadership had developed its strong political contacts with Syed Akhtar Hussain Rizvi, Chawinda-Pasrur based PML-Q leader, Imran Ashraf and Pasrur based Mirza Abdul Qayyum, member of PML-N Central Executive Committee.
He said that these political big guns were likely to join the PTI within the next couples of days. He said that if they join PTI, PML-N MPA Engineer Imran Ashraf will be PTI candidate against PML-N candidate Khawaja  Muhammad Asif in (NA 110, Sialkot-I). Now, PTI’s Chaudhry Ameer Hussain, former speaker of the National Assembly, will be PTI’s candidate against PPP’s Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan in (NA  111. Mirza Abdul Qayyum will be PTI candidate in NA 113 Daska, Sialkot-IV and former provincial minister Syed Akhtar Hussain Rizvi will be PTI’s candidate against PML-N’s Zahid Hamid in NA 114 Pasrur, Sialkot-V.