LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has finalised the names of party candidates for February 8 general elections. In the award of party tickets, the PML-N had given preference to old die-hard activists and former legislators.
The PML-N supremo, Nawaz Sharif, on Thursday chaired a party meeting which decided to immediately start the election drive. The party candidates have also been given specific directions for running the election campaign in their respective areas.
The meeting was attended among others by Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Rana Sanaullah who finalised matters pertaining to seat adjustment. The PML-N has finalised the names of its candidates for the national assembly (NA) and the provincial assembly (PP) seats from nine divisions of Punjab and Islamabad.
The candidates so far finalised are from Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions. The PML-N has fielded 24 candidates for the NA and PP seats from the Rawalpindi division.
Similarly, it has awarded tickets to its candidates for 16 NA and 32 PP seats from the Faisalabad division; nine NA and 21 PP seats from three districts of the Lahore division namely Nankana, Sheikhupura and Kasur; eight NA and 15 PP seats from the Sahiwal division; 15 NA and 29 PP seats from the Gujranwala division; nine NA and 15 PP seats from the Sargodha division.
The PML-N has okayed tickets for 14 NA and 20 PP seats from the Dera Ghazi Khan division; 13 NA and 28 PP seats from the Bahawalpur division, and 14 NA and 26 PP seats from the Multan division. The party has given tickets to its two candidates from Islamabad.
Sharif family members including Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz are contesting elections for national and Punjab assembly constituencies.
The PML-N Election Cell Chairman Senator Ishaq Dar has directed party ticket-holders from Punjab to pick up their tickets from PML-N Secretariat at 180-H, Model Town, Lahore, on Thursday and immediately start election drive.
Former MNA Rajab Ali Baloch’s wife Ayesha Rajab Baloch was disheartened after as the PML-N did not award her party ticket. She has decided to contest election as an independent candidate, sources said. Ayesha Rajab Baloch applied for party ticket from NA 97 Tandianwala.
Moreover, PML-N supremo has called Talal Chaudhry and Nawab Sher Waseer to decide the party ticket. Sources said the PML-N has left 11 provincial and seven National Assembly (NA) seats vacant for seat adjustment with the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) in the upcoming general elections.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024