Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) decision to field candidates against former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, and against the recommendation of the party president Shahbaz Sharif, is indicative of life time Quaid Nawaz Sharif remaining the final authority in key decisions despite his disqualification as party head.
The party on Sunday issued tickets to Raja Qamar-ul-Islam for NA-59 and PP-10 Rawalpindi, Mumtaz Khan for NA-63 Taxila, and Faisal Qayyum Malik for PP-12 Rawalpindi - a clear message to Chaudhary Nisar, so state party insiders, that he has not been forgiven for speaking against Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.
"Chaudhary Nisar's recent public outburst against Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, and his failure to appear for the interview before the parliamentary board led to the party decision not to leave the field open for Chaudhry Nisar who has been a harsh critic of elder Sharif and his daughter", said a PML-N leader while talking to Business Recorder on condition of anonymity.
"This is also a message to all those who reckoned Nawaz Sharif was losing control to his brother after his removal as party head by the Supreme Court on February 21, 2018 that the status quo prevails", he added.
Shahbaz Sharif, who was elected as the PML-N president on March 13, 2018, is however taking some decisions that may not have the full approval of his elder brother, so argue political pundits. He has issued only one NA ticket to his niece Maryam Nawaz - for NA 125 - even though she had submitted her papers for NA 125 (formerly NA 120) and 127. These two seats were considered PML-N strongholds in 2013 elections however the situation has changed noticeably in NA 125 since then.
Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of Nawaz Sharif had won NA-125 in by-election in September 2018 after it became vacant in the wake of Supreme Court's disqualification of Nawaz Sharif with Maryam Nawaz spearheading her absentee mother's campaign.
Her opponent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) Dr Yasmin Rashid, who also contested against Nawaz Sharif in the 2013 general elections and later by-polls against Kulsoom Nawaz gave the Sharif daughter a run for her money.
"The leadership was really concerned about the close margin in the by-election with which the party won the seat from the former prime minister's constituency. Since the by-election, Maryam Nawaz herself led the development work in the constituency and we are expecting positive response from the people in the upcoming general elections", said another PML-N leader who nonetheless predicted a tough contest on the constituency.
The PTI candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid secured only 52,321 votes against Nawaz Sharif's 91,666 in 2013 general elections, but narrowed the gap considerably by getting 47,099 votes against Kulsoom Nawaz's 61,745 in the by-elections.
Maryam Nawaz may have had a relatively easier time in contesting from NA 127 with PTI's Jamshed Iqbal, a relative unknown compared to her, so acknowledge many party insiders.
Maryam Nawaz would also contest on the Punjab provincial assembly seat from PP-173. The parliamentary board also awarded two tickets to Hamza Shahbaz, son of Shahbaz Sharif, one for National Assembly from NA-124, Lahore, to contest against PTI's Nauman Qaiser, and from PP -146 for Punjab provincial assembly seat.
However, it is unclear who will be the PML-N candidate for the office of the chief minister in Punjab in case it emerges as the largest party in the province. "It's premature to say anything as to who will be the PML-N chief minister once it emerges as the major party in the province as both Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz are contesting the provincial as well as National Assembly seats. But there is no such discussion taking place at this stage", the PML-N leader added.
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