In a surprising move, the Pakistan Peoples Party has decided to back a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the upcoming by-elections in Rawalpindi.In a combined news conference on Friday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) announced support for Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Sajjad Khan for National Assembly -60 constituency in Rawalpindi.The news conference was addressed by PPP Divisional President Salim Haider, City President Babar Jadoon, Secretary Iftikhar Chaudhry and Khalid Nawaz ‘Bobby’ among others.Haider said that the decision to back Sajjad had been made by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. He added that the two parties will organise a joint political rally before the October 14 by-elections as well.Taking a swipe at the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Haider said that those who had claimed to bring a sea change had failed while the democracy-loving forces of the country have now united.In a nod to the support extended by the PPP, Sajjad said that they were all political workers from Rawalpindi and that the support had strengthened their position.He vowed to work for the supremacy of democracy and the Constitution if he wins the by-elections.They condemned the arrest of PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore.Sajjad, though, had to face some embarrassment after most of the party’s local leadership failed to turn up for the key announcement.Eight candidates are in the running for NA-60 Rawalpindi-IV and have had their nomination papers cleared by the returning officer for the constituency and have been allotted symbols.Independent candidate Aftab Ahmed Qureshi has been allotted the symbol of the jeep.Pakistan Awami League candidate Asghar Ali Mubarak has been given the symbol of a hockey stick, independent candidate Tehmina Sajjad Khan has been allotted the symbol of butterfly, Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) candidate Zahid Aqeel the crane symbol, PML-N’s Sajjad Khan the party’s iconic tiger symbol.PTI’s candidate Sheikh Rashid Shafique has been given the party’s bat symbol, independent candidate Azhar Aslam has been given the symbol of a combat tank and independent candidate Qaiser Mir Dad Khan has been allotted the symbol of ice cream.Elections for NA-60 had to be postponed after PML-N leader and candidate Hanif Abbasi was arrested and then sentenced to jail for life in the eight-year-old ephedrine case. The conviction, which came just days before the July 25 general elections, had automatically disqualified him from contesting the elections and the elections were postponed.Published in The Express Tribune, October 6, 2018.