Electoral battle: Hamza to take on Imran in by-election campaign
MNA Talal Chaudhary said a team was working on drawing comparisons between candidates for the campaign
PML-N's Hamza Shahbaz Sharif. PHOTO: QAZI USMAN/EXPRESS
LAHORE:
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership has chosen National Assembly Member Hamza Shahbaz to lead the by-election campaigns in Lahore’s NA-122 and Lodhran’s NA-154 constituencies scheduled for October 11.
A senior PML-N leader said the party had decided not to engage the prime minister and the chief minister in the campaigns.
“The prime minister and the chief minister have other commitments,” he said.
“Hamza is a young leader well-equipped to run the by-election campaign,” he said.
“It will be Hamza versus Imran, particularly in NA-122, where Imran Khan is keen on holding large demonstrations,” a senior PMLN leader told Tribune.
Talking to The Express Tribune, MNA Talal Chaudhary, a member of the party’s media team for by-elections, said Hamza would head the campaign for by-election in these constituencies. “Hamza has enough experience in electioneering to successfully lead the campaign. He has managed all by-elections for the party since 2013.”
He said the party’s strategy for NA-122 had three components. “First, voters will be informed about the candidates’ individual qualifications,” he said. He said a team was working on drawing comparisons between candidates for the campaign.
He said in the second phase, the campaign would highlight performance of political parties contesting the by-election. “We will highlight the work of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and PML-N’s performance in the Punjab,” he said.
He said in the third phase of the campaign, voters would be informed about the problems in NA-122 seven years ago and how the constituency had transformed.
“The PML-N will share with voters its vision for the constituency and what Ayaz Sadiq can do for his constituents in the future,” he said.
“We have no objection to Imran Khan’s participation in the campaign,” he added.
Lahore High Court on Wednesday suspended a notification by the Election Commission of Pakistan barring members of national and provincial assemblies’ from campaigning for their parties’ candidates in the by-elections.
Shoaib Siddiqi, PTI’s candidate for PP-147 (under NA 122), had moved the petition.
PTI’s Aleem Khan is contesting the by-election against former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in NA-122.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2015.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership has chosen National Assembly Member Hamza Shahbaz to lead the by-election campaigns in Lahore’s NA-122 and Lodhran’s NA-154 constituencies scheduled for October 11.
A senior PML-N leader said the party had decided not to engage the prime minister and the chief minister in the campaigns.
“The prime minister and the chief minister have other commitments,” he said.
“Hamza is a young leader well-equipped to run the by-election campaign,” he said.
“It will be Hamza versus Imran, particularly in NA-122, where Imran Khan is keen on holding large demonstrations,” a senior PMLN leader told Tribune.
Talking to The Express Tribune, MNA Talal Chaudhary, a member of the party’s media team for by-elections, said Hamza would head the campaign for by-election in these constituencies. “Hamza has enough experience in electioneering to successfully lead the campaign. He has managed all by-elections for the party since 2013.”
He said the party’s strategy for NA-122 had three components. “First, voters will be informed about the candidates’ individual qualifications,” he said. He said a team was working on drawing comparisons between candidates for the campaign.
He said in the second phase, the campaign would highlight performance of political parties contesting the by-election. “We will highlight the work of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and PML-N’s performance in the Punjab,” he said.
He said in the third phase of the campaign, voters would be informed about the problems in NA-122 seven years ago and how the constituency had transformed.
“The PML-N will share with voters its vision for the constituency and what Ayaz Sadiq can do for his constituents in the future,” he said.
“We have no objection to Imran Khan’s participation in the campaign,” he added.
Lahore High Court on Wednesday suspended a notification by the Election Commission of Pakistan barring members of national and provincial assemblies’ from campaigning for their parties’ candidates in the by-elections.
Shoaib Siddiqi, PTI’s candidate for PP-147 (under NA 122), had moved the petition.
PTI’s Aleem Khan is contesting the by-election against former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in NA-122.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2015.