[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who will remain in Lahore for another two days, has given the province’s election preparations till the following week.
On the other side, Maryam Nawaz, the de facto leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), is still holding national party conventions.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s (SC) judgement on the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bilawal would consult with party officials, according to PPP Central Punjab (K-P). These discussions will be held in relation to election preparations.
PPP Central Punjab Acting Chairman Rana Farooq Saeed, who met the chairman on Wednesday, said that Bilawal was on a private trip to Lahore to attend a function. He said that the chairman has ordered them to complete their preparations for elections within a week. He also said that the chairman was of the view that the party should be fully prepared for elections in the province.
Farooq said that on Thursday evening, they will brief the PPP leader and Bilawal’s aunt Faryal Talpur regarding party preparations via zoom. He added that next week, they will give a presentation to the chairman on the matter.
The provincial leader said that from next week onwards, the party is expected to give known leaders of the party a go-ahead, to begin their electoral campaign. He said that so far, the understanding is that party will contest elections without any seat adjustment, however, the final decision rests with the party’s senior leadership.
PML-N, the party at the country’s helm, on the other hand, was still trying to live in denial by interpreting an unambiguous apex order in a manner that defies logic. Resultingly, it has not shown any urgency to complete its electoral preparations.
PML-N’s senior vice president, effectively the de facto head, Maryam, was continuing with the countrywide party conventions. Her next party convention would be held in Gujranwala on March 3, then Sheikhpura on March 7, then Peshawar on March 15, Lahore on March 19, then Quetta on March 23, and finally in Karachi on March 27.
The party claims that this convention effort should be viewed as the beginning of their election campaign.
Also Read: In 90 days, the SC orders elections in Punjab and K-P
Except from a small number of party leaders, a former provincial minister claimed that few people were aware of any electoral campaign. According to what he knew, the party had not yet begun making plans for the Punjab election campaign. He added that Maryam’s tour was primarily focused on reorganising the party and energising the membership.
He added that while her actions will indirectly help with election preparations, they cannot be considered proper election preparations in and of themselves.
The top PML-N leader would be returning to Pakistan in another week or so, according to Hamza Shehbaz’s personal staffer, who served as the former chief minister of Punjab.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, he claimed that Hamza will join Maryam at the party conventions after his arrival. Also, he declared that Maryam and Hamza will coordinate the election campaign.
It is important to note that Hamza’s return to lead the party was anticipated in January and again in February. The claims being made this time around are in doubt because the former ones made by the party leaders have not yet come to pass.
Another important aspect of the oncoming elections in Punjab and K-P is the expected return of party supremo Nawaz Sharif. Party leaders in recent weeks made it abundantly clear that the three-time former prime minister would lead the election campaign personally and return immediately after the election date is announced.
So far, the party has not announced any date for his return to the country.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
