Breaking hearts: Meera won’t be contesting elections

Lollywood star to support her mother’s candidature for PP-283.

LAHORE:

Disappointing her legions of fans and potential voters, Lollywood actress Meera says she will not be contesting elections, contradicting previous media reports that claimed she was in the running. Speaking at a press conference held at the unveiling of the Pakistan Justice Party’s (PJP) manifesto, Meera said she only intended to support her mother, Shafqat Zohra Awan, who is the PJP’s candidates for PP 283, Haroonabad.

Previously, reports had suggested that she had decided to run as a National Assembly candidate for the Justice Party against PTI chief Imran Khan. However, sources close to Meera said that she had never even submitted the relevant documents to enter into the election fray. Meera, while saying she was not a candidate, took the opportunity to give an endorsement to her mother.

“I have been working in India for the last couple of months, and I returned to Pakistan only to support my mother who has decided to run for elections,” said Meera.

The PJP, a small political group founded by lawyer Munsaf Awan which seems to be comprised of a few retired armed forces personnel and lawyers, only shot to a modicum of fame due to its apparent association with Meera.

To the visible disappointment of PJP chief Munsaf Awan, Meera said she had no political affiliations whatsoever.

“I have not joined any political party and my mother really doesn’t need my support, because she is a strong and successful mother.” Meera said. When asked why she was not contesting herself, she replied: “When my mother is here and I am with her, that’s it.”

The press conference, which was held at the Karachi Shuhuda hall of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, was attended by roughly 200 people, none of whom were from Haroonabad, and the assembled media seemed far more interested in Meera than the Justice Party’s manifesto.

Meera, while praising her mother, paused to ask the audience how many years had passed since the founding of Pakistan. One audience member answered her, but she went on to say: “I can’t understand what he has said and I don’t know the exact number of years but I do know that my mother will do for Haroonabad  what no political leader has done since the founding of Pakistan.”

Interestingly, Meera’s mother said that she had been planning to run for election as an independent candidate, but was then introduced to Munsaf Awan and joined his party on ‘ideological’ grounds.

Clearing the air regarding her previous statements that it was her famous daughter who would run for an MNA seat in Lahore, she said that Meera had been in India and it proved impossiuble to get the paperwork in order.

“Meera was definitely interested in running for the election, but she had to be in the country for papers to submitted, something that she could not do since she had previous commitments,” said Zohra  Awan. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2013.