PML-N wavers as PPP prepares for polls

LAHORE:

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) steams ahead with its preparations for elections in Punjab while its main ally in the federal government, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), still wavers in ambiguity despite the announcement of the election schedule.

Rana Farooq, the president of PPP’s central Punjab wing, has instructed all interested candidates from the province to submit their nomination papers from March 12 to 14.

He said that after consulting the lawyers, they should submit their nomination papers along with alternative candidates. He also said that the candidates should speed up the public relations campaign in their respective constituencies and contest the polls with all their zeal and zest to make the party proud.

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.

During these visits, meetings were held to discuss local politics and party positions. According to two former parliamentarians, who have attended such meetings, discussions were held regarding party tickets, however, no confirmation was given even to those who were sure of securing party tickets.

Abu Hafs Ghiasuddin, a former provincial lawmaker of the party, who has somewhat strained relations with the provincial chapter, said that he was assured of the party ticket by the party president, the incumbent prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, himself.

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.

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.

Langrial said that if PTI loses these elections they will again start crying foul. He said that then there was a question of hot weather which would make the election campaign very difficult.

He further said that their stated position was very clear on the subject.

When asked about the party’s election campaign, the politician said that their position was very clear on the matter, i.e. until a level playing field is provided, elections should not be held.

Secondly, he said, the party has passed no such instructions regarding elections.