Pakistan Muslim League-N leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to start five-day tour from Monday (June 20) to Azad Kashmir to advance election campaign of his party’s newly formed state chapter for the upcoming general elections of Azad Kashmir.
During his tour, the PML-N leader would address various election rallies besides trying to win support from senior leaders of the Muslim Conference for his party’s candidates. The election campaign has already started heating up, in tandem with fast approaching elections for the Legislative Assembly, with political deals on peak.
The Election Commission of Azad Kashmir has already issued the final list of contestants belonging to 25 political parties as well as independent candidates for the upcoming Legislative Assembly elections scheduled for June 26. About 772 candidates had filed nominations for 41 constituencies in the state, and 12 constituencies of Kashmiri refugees in Pakistan.
Of them nomination papers of 427 have been found in order and declared illegible for taking part in the election; 299 have been firmed up for the 29 constituencies. About 128 contestants are running for the 12 constituencies spread over four provinces of Pakistan, while 77 nominees have decided to contest from the 12 constituencies reserved for refugees.
The Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Q have publicly announced their joint stand against the coalition of the PML-N and the Jamaat-e-Islami, while the Muslim Conference and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement have devised their own coalition strategy.
The PML-N has started raising objections over election riggings of PPP-led government in Islamabad, while sources monitoring the election campaign have predicted a strong electoral battle between the PPP and the PML-N.