PML-N scouts ‘fresh faces’ for Lahore poll battle

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday kicked off preparations for the upcoming elections and decided to strengthen its electoral muscle by ushering in heavyweight political figures within the heart of the political capital with crucial national and provincial assembly seats at stake.

Party insiders disclosed that “a departure from traditional faces” in Lahore's political landscape -- considered to be PML-N's home turf -- is on the horizon as the party is seeking to bring in new candidates from the PML-N ranks.

With 14 seats in the National Assembly and 30 in the Provincial Assembly at stake, the sources said the party is hunting for suitable contenders for all 44 seats within Lahore. For this purpose, a committee has been constituted to deliberate on the allocation of tickets among candidates from Lahore.

To streamline the candidate selection process, the party is set to establish a six-member parliamentary sub-committee tasked with overseeing the distribution of party tickets.

This committee includes Divisional Coordinator Khawaja Saad Rafique, Divisional President Sheikh Waseem Ahmed, PML-N Lahore President Saiful Mulook Khokhar, General Secretary Khawaja Imran Nazir, Divisional General Secretary Pir Ashraf Rasool, and Saud Majeed.

The parliamentary sub-committee is slated to conduct interviews with potential candidates, formulating recommendations for ticket distribution, which will then be submitted to the party's top brass for consideration.

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The central parliamentary board will make the final call regarding ticket allocations based on the panel’s evaluations of candidates' past legislative performances and their tenure as previous ticket holders.

Nawaz in Sialkot
Simultaneously, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to embark on a one-day visit to Sialkot as part of election preps.

The agenda of the former prime minister includes an address to the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce to discuss pressing economic matters with the business community.

Later, an afternoon meeting hosted at Khawaja Asif’s residence is slated to deliberate on elections and party affairs, where Nawaz Sharif will engage with party leaders alongside Maryam Nawaz and other prominent members.

Shehbaz meets former lawmakers
In a parallel development, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif also convened a meeting with senior party officials, former National Assembly members, and previous party ticket holders on Friday.

Khawaja Saad Rafique, Rana Sanaullah, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Raja Riaz, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Former Deputy Speaker of Punjab Assembly Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, Deputy Secretary-General Ataullah Tarar, and former National Assembly member Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh were present.

The discussions centred on organizational matters and election preparations, with regional leaders briefing Shehbaz on their respective areas' readiness for the upcoming polls.

Commending the dedication and efforts of party members, the party president reiterated the PML-N's commitment to realising Pakistan's economic self-reliance under Nawaz Sharif's leadership.

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Highlighting the significance of a self-reliant Pakistan in safeguarding the interests of the Muslim world, Shehbaz Sharif called for collective efforts to avert the repercussions of weakened governance.

Stressing the pivotal role of educated youth, he underscored the party's commitment to steering Pakistan towards progress and stability, echoing the PML-N's track record in steering the nation through crises and alleviating public distress.

PML-N brass plans strategy
Similarly, gearing up for the elections, PML-N's Punjab President Rana Sanaullah and Election Cell Chairman Senator Ishaq Dar spearheaded an important virtual meeting.

The party's Punjab divisional coordinators and presidents also attended the session held to outline strategies and tasks ahead of the polls.

During the meeting, Dar and Sanaullah delegated crucial responsibilities to the coordinators, directing them to engage extensively with divisional and district organisational officials, alongside various party wings. They were instructed to assess and compile recommendations for potential candidates for the upcoming general elections. The recommendations are slated to be submitted to the party’s election cell for thorough consideration.

The decisions from the PML-N parliamentary board regarding these nominations are expected to surface by December 1.