LAHORE: About 21 candidates have filed their nomination papers with the Election Commission of Punjab to contest by-polls in NA-133. PML-N’s Shaista Pervaiz Malik, PTI’s Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and PPP’s Chaudhry Aslam Gill are among the candidates who have filed nomination papers with the returning officer for the by-poll in NA-133.
The seat fell vacant after the death of PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik. Now wife of Pervez Malik, Shaista Pervaiz Malik is also contesting election from this constituency.
Nomination of Mrs Malik, who is in ‘iddat’ has been filed by her son MNA Ali Pervaiz Malik, whereas others submitted their papers in person. NA-133 is considered the stronghold of the PML(N) in Lahore.
Advocate Naseer Bhutta of the PML-N and Musarrat Jamshed Cheema have also submitted their nominations apparently as covering candidates. The PPP’s Gill reached the Election Commission’s office in a motorcycle rally to submit his candidature.
The PTI’s Cheema told the media outside the RO office that the PTI government had eliminated money-laundering culture from the country and helped increase national exports. Responding to a query, he said the price hike existed only in the speeches of PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz.
Ali Pervaiz Malik hoped the people of the constituency would not disappoint the PML-N in the by-polls as the party had been serving them for decades.
Hamza Shehbaz held a meeting of the PML-N Lahore chapter leaders at the party’s Model Town offices to discuss the election campaign strategy for the by-poll. Those in attendance included MNAs, MPAs as well as Mayor retired Col Mubashar Javed and other city district government members.
