–Shehbaz says candidates would be given priority on basis of merit, loyalty with party
–PML-N leadership mulls over electoral strategy following Zaeem Qadri’s outburst
–Tussle between Pervez Malik, Bilal Yasin over NA-125 ticket
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said that candidates would be awarded tickets for the forthcoming polls on the recommendation of the party’s parliamentary board.
Chairing a meeting following his return from London, the PML-N president was briefed about the party’s plan for the upcoming election, which was attended by senior party representatives including his son Hamza Shehbaz.
Addressing the meeting, Shehbaz said that candidates would be given priority on the basis of merit, discipline and loyalty with the party.
The PML-N leadership mulled over its electoral strategy for Lahore following former MPA Zaeem Qadri’s outburst on Thursday.
Qadri, at a fiery press conference, had claimed he would no longer be subservient to Shehbaz and Hamza, and lashed out at not being given a ticket to contest the July 25 election from NA-133. The former MPA also vowed to contest the polls from Lahore as an independent candidate.
According to reports, PML-N leader Pervez Malik is likely to get the party ticket from National Assembly constituency NA-125.
Malik’s chances of getting the party ticket have cast doubt over former provincial minister Bilal Yasin’s candidacy from the same constituency. Bilal Yasin, former provincial minister and relative of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, insists that he should contest the election from NA-125, if Maryam Nawaz chooses to run for NA-127 seat.
Speaking to a private media outlet, Yasin said he was contesting for the provincial assembly and not a National Assembly seat. “If Maryam Nawaz contests the election from NA-125 then I will contest the polls from PP-150,” he said.
Yasin claimed that he had spoken to Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz in this regard, before they left for London.
According to a private media outlet, former NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who is contesting from NA-129, may be given a party ticket to contest against Qadri from NA-133.
Following Friday’s meeting, PML-N Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) leaders Amir Muqam and Murtaza Javed Abbasi called on Shehbaz.
They apprised the party president of the political campaign in the province, along with the distribution of party tickets.
