Vote for Kulsoom is vote against verdict: Maryam

Former first daughter continues campaigning for cancer-stricken mother; Nawaz flies to London to be with wife

LAHORE: Will you vote against the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif on September 17, asked the loyal daughter.

Maryam Nawaz posed the question while going around union councils in the PP-139 constituency on Wednesday as part of her mother Kulsoom Nawaz’s election campaign for NA-120. The provincial constituency falls within the limits of the national assembly constituency.

The odd ‘candidate-less’ campaign – Kulsoom is in London receiving treatment for throat cancer – continued into its second consecutive day. Maryam was able to attract reasonable crowds during her brief stops to address party workers, although she mostly remained inside her car due to security reasons. Party planners suggest she will continue similar tours of the constituency till Eid, after which the party plans to hold bigger election events.



Her speeches were essentially rehashes of what she and her father, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, have been saying after his disqualification. She asked the workers whether they accepted Sharif’s disqualification, to which the response was unanimous shouts of no. She said that voting for Kulsoom would prove the public rejects the court decision against Sharif.

Referring to PTI and PPP supporters, she said that they will kick out the khilaris (sportsmen) and madaris (circus performers) from the constituency. Without naming PTI, she said that the party was criticizing major development projects in Lahore while shamelessly asking for votes from the same citizens of Lahore who were benefiting from these projects.

She said the public needs to reject the politics of conspiracies. “Who gave you metro, motorway, electricity and orange line,” she asked the crowd, which responded by shouting “Nawaz Sharif”.

She also reminded the voters of the political entities “conspiring” against Sharif and said that her father had continued working for the betterment of the country despite such opposition.

Maryam formally started campaigning for her mother on Tuesday with similar speeches in the PP-140 constituency, although she has been holding meetings with local party leaders since Saturday.



Interestingly, Kulsoom’s campaign was initially entrusted to Hamza Shehbaz – Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s son and Maryam’s cousin – who is well-versed with Punjab and local government politics, but for reasons still within palace intrigue, he backed out and it was handed over to Federal Commerce Minister Pervaiz Malik, who is also the president of PML-N Lahore. Later, the party decided that a better option would be for Maryam to front the campaign while other leaders including Malik continue to assist her.

Nawaz Sharif leaves for London

Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday left for London to be with Kulsoom during her treatment.

Shehbaz and close Nawaz aide Asif Kirmani saw him off at the airport. Nawaz will spend Eid with his wife and sons in London as part of his trip, which sources said is expected to last at least 10 days. They said that Nawaz will return before the by-elections and will participate in at least one public gathering in NA-120.

Sources also rejected any inference that Nawaz had left Pakistan to avoid prosecution by NAB.