Elections roundup: PML-Shehbaz in the making?

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PML-Shehbaz could soon be a reality as ECP has summoned N-League supreme leader Nawaz Sharif after an objection was raised over party’s registration under the name of a disqualified parliamentarian. “A party can’t be registered with the name of a disqualified person,” argued the petitioners.

The ECP was asked to de-notify PML-N under the Supreme Court’s July 28 order. With Shehbaz Sharif already the party president and Nawaz slowly being sidelined and reduced to symbolic important, is there a Muslim League named after the other Sharif in the making?

WIFE REPLACES DANIYAL:

Since PML-N’s vocal leader Daniyal Aziz cannot contest polls following his disqualification ruled by the apex court, he has decided to field his wife Mehnaz Akbar Aziz for Narowal’s NA-77. This is not the first time a candidate’s family has been handed over the task due to unforeseen circumstances.

Qamarul Islam, PML-N’s candidate competing against estranged leader Nisar, was taken into custody by NAB in Saaf Pani scam and now his 12-year-old son is making emotional appeals to the voters. Ex-premier Abbasi’s spouse Samina Abbasi was previously reported to contest elections for NA-57 on her husband’s behalf, but Abbasi has now been allowed by the LHC.

ELECTED UNOPPOSED, UN-CONTESTED:

What if I tell you a candidate submitted his nomination papers and was elected unopposed and un-contested as lawmaker? Well, this just happened in PS-6 of Kashmore where PPP’s Mir Shabbir Ali Khan Bijarani made his way directly into the Sindh Assembly. The documents of his only competitor were rejected by the election body.

Bijrani, son of deceased Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani who had shot dead his wife and then committed suicide with the same weapon on February 2, was going to part ways with PPP and join GDAL, however, the grievances were timely resolved. Well played, Zardari!

ENRAGED VOTERS:

There could easily be a running show with episodes on enraged voters in different constituencies. Soon after sighting ex-lawmakers years after they were last seen asking for votes, the angry residents surround them and inquire about their unfulfilled promises.

The same happened on Friday with PTI’s Khurrum Sher Zaman, MQM-P’s Farooq Sattar when they were busy campaigning for the polls. A voter shouted told Zaman, “We did not vote [for you] so you could sit in the assembly and travel in a car to and from your house,” while another argued with Sattar, “You have been snatching animal hides for the past 25 years by brandishing weapons. Now you’ve come here to ask for votes.”