LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders rally voters to support their party’s ‘lion’ symbol in the face of soaring inflation and other challenges, an ironic twist emerges: they themselves cannot vote for their party’s candidate in tomorrow’s general elections on the National Assembly seat.
Sources in PML-N revealed that Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, and Hamza Shehbaz are registered to vote in NA-128, where the PML-N has formed a seat adjustment with the Istehkam-e-Pakistan (IPP) party.
In NA-128, the PML-N has not nominated any candidate for the National Assembly seat, instead announcing their backing for IPP leader Aun Chaudhry, whose symbol is the “eagle”.
Nevertheless, the trio of PML-N leaders will cast their votes for the party’s candidate Umar Sohail in PP-161.
As per a list shared by senior party leader Ishaq Dar, PML-N candidates will compete in 212 NA constituencies nationwide on February 8, leaving 51 NA seats open for rivals or allies.
Supreme leader Nawaz Sharif will contest elections in NA-15 (Mansehra) and NA-130 (Lahore) constituencies.
Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz will run in the election from NA-119, while Hamza Shehbaz will contest NA-118 Lahore.
Meanwhile, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif will vie for seats in NA-123 and NA-132.
The constituencies where the PML-N has refrained from fielding candidates include: NA-4 (Swat-III), NA-19 (Swabi-I), NA-20 (Swabi-II), NA-21 (Mardan-I), NA-22 (Mardan-III), NA-44 (Dera Ismail Khan-I), NA-45 (Dera Ismail Khan-II), NA-48 (Islamabad-III), NA-54 (Islamabad-III), NA-64 (Gujrat-III), NA-88 (Khushab-II), NA-92 (Bhakkar-II), NA-117 (Lahore-I), NA-128 (Lahore-XII), NA-143 (Sahiwal-III), NA-149 (Multan-II).
Additionally, the party is not contesting in NA-165, NA-185, NA-190 to NA-204, NA-206 to NA-210, NA-212, NA-214, NA-215, NA-217, NA-218, NA-221, NA-223, NA-224, NA-228, NA-239, NA-245, NA-264, and NA-266.
In a bid to fortify its position in the province ahead of the forthcoming elections, the former ruling party has struck a seat adjustment pact with Jahangir Tareen’s IPP.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
