The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) held a brainstorming session on Saturday on how it could defeat Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in upcoming parliamentary elections from Rawalpindi, sources said.
The party considered a strategy in its concluding meeting about survey reports of its strength in three divisions of Punjab.
During the meeting, the names of Chaudhry Muhammad Riaz and Raja Javed Ikhlas were suggested as prospective candidates for contesting the polls from Rawalpindi against the = premier, sources said.
PML-N Punjab General Secretary Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, however, refused to comment on the subject.
For the last one week, the PML-N leadership was engaged in poring over reports of surveys that were carried out in the Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Lahore divisions to ascertain how it could secure a sweeping victory in the province, they said.
The reports provided lists of new comers and highlighted the performance of lawmakers and the party leadership.
In the concluding meeting, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif was keen to see the premier defeated at any cost and in this regard, the senior leadership sat for seven hours to devise different strategies, sources said. The party’s central and provincial leadership was present in the meeting along with PML-N’s seasoned politicians.
In the 2008 elections, Prime Minister Ashraf secured 80,247 votes, PML-N’s Muhammad Riaz got 56,381 votes and PML-Q’s Raja Qasim Javed Ikhlas bagged 69,690 votes. Raja Qasim and his father, Raja Javed Ikhlas, have recently joined the PML-N.
The report preferred newcomer Qasim Javed Ikhlas instead of die-hard PML-N loyalist Muhammad Riaz, sources said. The report stated that Ikhlas along with the strong panel of Iftikhar Warsi and Shaukat Bhatti might defeat the premier.
Leader of Opposition in NA Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan too supported Ikhlas and urged Nawaz Sharif to award him a ticket for NA 51 but the PML-N chief has sought more comparative reports on the two candidates, sources said.
Faisalabad and Lahore
The report from Faisalabad division was ‘pathetic’, sources said. The two districts of this division, Chinot and Jhang, did not respond to the party’s visiting team. The rivalry between Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and MNA Abid Sher Ali has damaged the party’s vote bank in Faisalabad city, sources added.
Meanwhile, the report on PML-N strength in Lahore division was termed satisfactory in the survey report.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 23rd, 2012.
COMMENTS (15)
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Abdul Manan has done the good job to break the story to defeat Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf from Gujar Khan.Instead of wasting eight hours to ponder the defeat of Raja Pervez Ashraf it was one minute solution to decide the PML N candidate from Gujar Khan and ie either Mian Nawaz Sharif himself or Ch Nisar Ali Khan should contest election against Raja Pervez Ashraf to defeat him.
@Usman Khan: pmln is eager to defeat ppp and pti; but they are ignoring their loyals and taking new joiners; this is not a good policy;
@AS: Keep my word with u as a token that PMLN wud not even win a municipal seat from Sindh and Baluchistan, and only 2-3 seats in KP. It will be beaten severly in South Punjab. Next elections and PMLN will emerge only as a Party of central Punjab's 8 districts and will never gain power at federal level.
@Farooq: inshallah one seat only, that too of laghari brothers from DG Khan, they have decided to contest as independent then to use PTI flag.
(keep my this post with you as token of advance congratulation )
PML-N is gradually regaining it's strength that has been suppressed by run-away dictator Musharraf and his protege' General Pasha, as General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani is a professional soldier and distances himself from political meddling.... Since PTI is invigorated by General Pasha, it is better known as Pasha Tehrik Infaaq to break the right vote bank and let PPP continue for another 5 year term. But after the retirement of General Pasha, Pasha Tehrik Infaaq is dying its natural death!! PML-N will provide leadership to the country the same way it restored the judiciary through Long March on 15th March 2009 when the rally had hardly crossed 100 miles the then Prime Minister had to restore the judiciary at 3:15 am past midnight. Imran Khan Niazi had gone into hiding to avoid his arrest but Nawaz Sharif stood with the masses to face tear gas and all kind of resistence. It is PML-N that has been demanding that Military Budget should be debated in the national Assembly. It is PML-N, whose Leader of Opposition being Chairman PAC uncovered the NLC mega corruption scam by 3 generals and ordered independent investigation. It was PML-N that provided leadership to the country on the controversial issue of Dual Nationality, when PPP & MQM were pressing for it (as their respective Chairman & Quaid are UK citizens) while Pasha Tehrik went into hybernation. PML-N had taken the principled stance even at the cost of its few MNAs.
@khaq e khuda, this is the level of your despration and frustration that you are counting on typos to bring down PML_N
PTI will win INSHA ALLAH.
@Usman Khan: punjabi mafia against ppp but this mafia is limited to only 8 districts of punjab. PMLN is a purely regional party representing interests of central punjab.
PMLN is trying to defeat PPP & PTI is trying to defeat PMLN...
Well done Imran Khan, you will surly help Zardari to stay for another 5 years...
@AS:
Pop? That is the level of focus you plan to win elections with?
PMLN looks more serious than any other political parties in terms of holding free elections and taking country forward...
@ AS...what will you do after "beating" PTI??? - the same what we have been seeing since 80's ... and in the last year.
PMLN must be proud of followers like you who follow them without any VISION and THINKING.
The only reason PML N did not resign was to use this government machinery for surveys and use the power and money to attract youth with shallow things like laptop...festivals..and other gimmicks..My questions is why this all was not done in the last four years why only 6 months before elections..I Hope this country sees a real change and people vote for PTI..