LAHORE: The PML-N which has opted against fielding its candidate to challenge the `reber Javed Hashmi in Multan by-polls, believes that local grouping and not the national political scenario will matter in NA-149.

`The Multan by-poll will not reflect national situation.

Instead, local factors and groupings will affect its outcome,` former law minister Rana Sanaullah says. He was talking to Dawn by phone fromFaisalabadonThursday.

PTI former president Javed Hashmi had won in NA-149 in 2013 general election but resigned from the seat after developing differences with the party leadership during the on-going sit-in.

Although PTI has boycotted the by-poll, it is openly campaigning for Aamer Dogar, a PPP leader who is contesting the by-election as an independent candidate.

The PPP has awarded ticket to Javed Siddiqui.

The PML-N, perhaps feeling obliged to Hashmi for his whistle-blower`s role with regard to Islamabad sit-in that hurt the protesters` cause, has decided not to pitch a candidate against the veteran politician. However, the party is not supporting the PTI renegade overtly.

Even then, Hashmi may not find it easy to sail through, according to Sana.

He says local factors will matter a lot in the contest and Hashmi`s services for democracy or his role in the country`s politics will count least.

In his opinion, up to only 15pc PTI voters will go for Hashmi while a majority of others will opt for Dogar.

Like the PPP, the PML-N too stands divided on the issue. Tariq Rashid, the former N League nominee who had lost the seat to Hashmi, has fielded his brother in the by-poll.

Sana expects a loss of around 10,000 votes to Hashmi because of the hostility against him among the local cadres of the PML-N.

He says PPP voters are also confused as they have to choose between a former party nominee but now an independent Dogar and ticket-holder Siddiqui.

Commenting on the treatment meted out to AML president Sheikh Rashid by PML-N workers in Multan, Sana said Rashid and the PTI would be reaping what they have sown by heaping scorn on their political rivals from the container.

He said Imran had been preaching to his activists to raise slogans against leaders of rival parties wherever they encountered them. `The policy is bound to boomerang.

Imran failed to foresee that the aggressive response by PML-N activists to sloganeering by PTI workers would worsen the situation, Mr Sana says.