Shehbaz flip-flops, file papers in Karachi

According to sources Shehbaz will contest from three seat of Karachi

KARACHI: The leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has changed their policy about fielding party president Shehbaz Sharif from Karachi three times because they could not reach an agreement.

Finally, he was given green signal to contest from Karachi in light of the views from majority of the party leaders in Sindh.

Shehbaz changed his last decision on Monday morning and the party leader Rana Mashhood and others submitted his nomination papers from National Assembly constituencies NA-248, NA-249 and NA-250 on the instructions of the party leadership.

Important party sources said that Shehbaz will fight elections from three seat of Karachi.

However, the party leadership reviewed the matter and some senior leaders thought that since he is party president, he would have to pay special attention to election process in Punjab as well as party affairs because it is important for the party to succeed in Punjab, the sources added.



His participation in election from Karachi was stopped under this consideration and it was confirmed by party’s Sindh Secretary Information Khawaja Tariq Nazeer on Sunday night.

The decision, however, was changed again in light of the opinion of the majority of the provincial party leadership from Sindh.

The reason mentioned for this decision was that the provincial leaders drew the attention of the central leaders that if he [Shehbaz] does not take part in elections from Karachi, it will harm the party campaign in the province.

They said the opponents would do propaganda that PML-N leadership is not paying any attention to Sindh.

When contacted, party’s central leader Saleem Zia told The Express Tribune that the decision about his participation in elections from Karachi changed on Sunday night and it was decided his nomination papers will not be submitted on Monday. However, the party leadership once again reviewed their decision on Monday morning.
He said that nomination papers from three constituencies have been submitted under the latest decision.