Future strategy: PML-N likely to go for by-polls

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid said on Wednesday that instead of moving the Supreme Court, the PML-N has decided to contest by-polls in the constituencies where its lawmakers were unseated by election tribunals. However, he added that the decision awaited endorsement of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The minister confirmed that Premier Nawaz – who returned on Wednesday from a two-day visit to Kazakhstan – has convened a consultative meeting of the ruling party on Thursday to devise a future strategy.

The PML-N has stopped former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who was unseated by an election tribunal in a scrutiny of NA-122 last week, from challenging the decision in the Supreme Court. The party’s senior leadership has advised him to contest by-polls instead.

About the vacant slot of National Assembly speaker, sources said Premier Nawaz, who is also the ruling party’s president, would decide whether Sadiq should reoccupy the slot after winning by-election or someone else from the party should step into his shoes. “Most leaders of the ruling party favour the first option,” a source added.

The PML-N has also advised Khawaja Saad Rafique, who was unseated from NA-125 by an election tribunal in May 20015, to withdraw his petition from the apex court which has issued a stay order against the tribunal decision.

The ruling party has also decided to award a ticket to Siddiq Baloch’s son, Zubair Baloch, who is also an MPA, or his relative for the by-election in NA-154 Lodhran.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2015.