Nawaz continues with cautious approach

Ex-PM set to hit the stage in Abbottabad to address rally on Jan 22

LAHORE:

 

PML-N founder Nawaz Sharif, who recently called off his Layyah election rally reportedly due to prior commitments, is now set to hit the stage again and address his second election campaign rally in Abbottabad on the January 22, the party's information confirmed on Saturday.

With elections approaching fast, PML-N's election campaign has yet to gain the momentum observed in previous elections. The party's main batsman, Nawaz Sharif, has not yet fully entered the election battleground.

So far, he has only spoken at one election rally in Hafizabad, and that too for a brief ten minutes as the second-to-last speaker. This move has left many puzzled, with some interpreting it as Nawaz indicating his successor to the party, while others see it as him being cautious to avoid ruffling any feather in Rawalpindi.

While his daughter, Maryam Nawaz, was already on her election campaign trail, according to her own party leaders, she wasn't in a position to fill her father's shoes.

Prior to his return from London, several PML-N leaders had emphatically stated that the former prime minister's presence in Pakistan to lead the election rally would be critical for the party's triumph in the upcoming elections.

Another unusual element was that the PML-N's campaign lacked any innovative pitch, and its speeches, aside from the customary promises, continued to revolve around tarnishing Imran Khan and his tenure as prime minister.

According to Marriyum Aurangzeb, Nawaz Sharif will address a rally in Abbottabad, where both Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz are also scheduled to speak. When questioned about the peculiarities of the Hafizabad rally, she did not provide a response.

Read  Nawaz cautiously enters election battleground

Hamza's waning interest, Maryam's ambitions

Another notable absence from the PML-N’s election rallies was Shehbaz Sharif’s son, Hamza Shehbaz, who appears to have downgraded his position from that of a central party leader to a mere party candidate.

Despite the limited number of election rallies conducted, he did not participate in any of them. A party source believed that Maryam Nawaz has eaten away all the space Hamza had carved out for himself.

Citing an example, he said that Maryam Nawaz is actively involved at the union council level in Punjab, aiming to diminish Hamza Shehbaz's influence, given that local body level politics in Punjab was considered to be his stronghold.

He noted that Hamza Shehbaz, having lost the chief minister position twice in quick succession, appears to have waned in interest. On the contrary, Maryam is highly ambitious and keen on taking reins of Punjab.

In an unrelated development, Aun Chaudary, was among the seven lucky IPP leaders allocated a National Assembly constituency by PML-N, met with PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

It is noteworthy to mention here that PML-N had not yet openly endorsed IPP's candidates in the seven National Assembly and eleven provincial assembly constituencies.