[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the PPP’s primary ally in the federal government, is still hesitant despite the announcement of the election schedule, while the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is moving forward with its preparations for the elections in Punjab.
Any candidates from the province who are interested should submit their nomination papers between March 12 and March 14, according to Rana Farooq, the president of the PPP’s central Punjab chapter.
He advised them to file their nomination papers and list any alternate candidates after checking with their attorneys. Also, he advised the candidates to step up their public relations efforts in their individual districts and run for office with all of their passion in order to honour the party.
On the other hand, PML-N, despite the unambiguous Supreme Court (SC) orders to conduct elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), is still busy in advocating the advantages of holding elections in the entire country at the same time.
PPP has an extremely slim presence in the province, while PML-N remains the biggest political party in Punjab after its main rival, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Former parliamentarians of the party from Punjab that The Express Tribune spoke to were clueless about the party’s policy on elections other than the stated media position, which was largely about opposing the decision of holding elections in Punjab and K-P.
The excuses that were given by the party range from security concerns to financial concerns to inclement weather to the holy month of Ramazan to the need for a fresh digital census and ultimately to the need for holding elections in the entire country at the same time.
PML-N’s newly-appointed chief organizer, Maryam Nawaz, is currently on a division-wise tour of Punjab to reinvigorate the rank and file of the party, and the same tour is now being dubbed an election campaign.
Meetings were held during these travels to talk about party positions and local politics. Two former lawmakers who attended these meetings claim that discussions regarding party tickets took place, but that not even those who were confident they would succeed in getting tickets received confirmation.
Former party member and provincial lawmaker Abu Hafs Ghiasuddin said that party president and current prime minister Shehbaz Sharif personally guaranteed him a spot on the party ticket despite their relatively poor relationship.
However, he said, the party has not initiated the process of shortlisting any candidates. He added that this exercise of finalising the candidates was usually held at the eleventh hour, though he said that post-scrutiny of candidates, there will be no time for them to prepare for the polls,
“During now and then, there is the holy month of Ramazan. How can they prepare for elections during Ramazan?” he asked.
He also said that those who had to conduct elections were confused themselves. He added that widespread confusion over elections has led to this delay.
Another former lawmaker from Punjab, Malik Nouman Ahmad Langrial, who was amongst the 20 parliamentarians who had ditched PTI to join PML-N last year, said that he had an audience with Maryam recently, during which he was assured of her complete support.
He said that the PML-N leader, during the said meeting, made it clear that those who already have and will damage the party will not be spared. He was referring to the opposition within the party ranks against those parliamentarians, who abandoned PTI to join its camp.
Read More: Bilawal gives the PPP one week to prepare for the elections.
When asked about his party’s position regarding elections, he said that elections should only be held after a playing field is visible to all in the political arena. He also said that there were concerns about how elections could be held in Punjab and K-P first and the National Assembly (NA) later.
According to Langrial, PTI would once more start complaining about unfairness if they lose these elections. Then, he said, there was the issue of the hot weather, which would make the election campaign extremely challenging.
He added that their stated opinion on the matter was crystal clear.
When questioned about the party’s election campaign, the politician stated that their stance was very clear, i.e., elections shouldn’t be held until an equal playing field is created.
Second, he claimed that the party had not issued any such directives about elections.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
