Lahore: Tickets have become a hot topic in the PML-N camp. Former Punjab chief minister Hamza Sharif reportedly asked his uncle Nawaz not to ignore party loyalists when distributing tickets for general seats and reserved seating.
Women workers are already dissatisfied with the PML-N’s leadership for its decision to reserve seats only for women from upper-class families and influential families.
A party insider said on Tuesday that Hamza Shehbaz had joined the chorus and asked the party supremo for him to prioritize loyal workers. Source: The old guard of the party was concerned about the preference for new faces.
Hamza, the son of PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif, has been keeping a low profile since losing the office of chief minister to Chaudhry Parvez Elahi last July.
He doesn’t have much say in recent party affairs, especially since Nawaz Sharif returned from his self-imposed exile this October. Insiders claim that Maryam Nawaz’s camp has been stronger since her father’s return and has more influence in party affairs, including the allocation of tickets.
Hamza Shehbaz, a member of Hamza Shehbaz’s group in the party, is also reportedly not happy with the decision by the party to remove some women workers’ names from its list for reserved party seats. Source: “Some members in his group fear they might not be considered in constituencies that they choose in the Feb 8 polls,” said the source.
Media has reported on the differences between Hamza and Maryam’s camps in the past. However, speculations grew after Muhammad Safdar declared that Maryam was the party candidate for the position of Punjab Chief Minister.
The elder Sharif’s daughter and Hamza Shehbaz were said to have taken the lead, but we could not independently confirm these claims.
Marriyum Aurangzeb, PML-N’s spokesperson, dismissed on Tuesday “news about Hamza Shehbaz”, which had been spreading in social media and mainstream media. She did not say what she denied, but a tweet sent from her X Twitter account stated: “Some elements spread speculation intentionally which shows their desperation”.
Talal Chaudhry, PMLN leader, responded to a question regarding Hamza Shehbaz by saying, “Hamza Shehbaz represents the party.” There are 15 candidates in our party for each seat. This means that the chances of getting on the ticket are low.
Meeting of the Parliamentary Board
Shehbaz Sherif, PML-N president, told a meeting of the party’s board of parliamentary members that Nawaz Sherif was the sole leader to have rescued Pakistan from its crisis.
Nawaz Shariff said that the country suffered from unaffordable hours of power outages, but he added nearly 15,000 megawatts to the national grid. The PMLN president slammed those who had promised more than 300 hydel dams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They fooled the country with their hollow promises because they couldn’t even build one of these dams.
He said that the party was very enthusiastic after Nawaz returned from exile.
