PML-N weighs its by-poll contenders

LAHORE:

With the main PTI effectively pushed out of the political ring by the powers that be, Punjab’s Minister for Information and Culture, Azma Bokhari, said on Saturday that her party’s election tickets were “hot cake” while taking a jab at the opposition party for opting out of the upcoming by-elections.

Azma said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) parliamentary board held an in-depth discussion on the by-elections and internal party organisation, adding that nearly 15 aspirants were competing for each seat.

Stressing that the final decision on awarding party tickets rests solely with party supremo Nawaz Sharif, she clarified that the parliamentary board’s role was limited to recommending the most suitable candidates.

She further added that the party has invited suggestions from individuals interested in contesting the upcoming by-elections and that another session of the parliamentary board will be convened soon to finalise decisions.

Taking aim at political rivals, she quipped that PTI has already fled the by-election arena, unable to find candidates willing to take the field against PML-N. She added that while PML-N was fully prepared and united, the opposition remained gripped with confusion and disarray.

The Punjab chapter of PML-N recently convened an important organisational meeting in Model Town, Lahore.

The session was chaired by Punjab President Rana Sanaullah and attended by senior leaders, including Azma Bokhari, Pervaiz Rashid, Anusha Rehman, Saud Majeed, Saifullah Khokhar, Zeeshan Rafiq, Nosheen Iftikhar, Rana Arshad, Mohsin Ranjha, along with divisional coordinators and other organisational office bearers.

The meeting focused on planning and preparations for the upcoming by-elections as well as the expected local government elections. During the session, Rana Sanaullah directed party leaders to immediately complete the organisational structure and ensure full electoral preparedness at all levels.

Discussions were also held regarding candidate selection for the by-elections. District-level party officials were instructed to accelerate preparations. Rana Sanaullah announced that the party will soon finalise suitable candidates after consultation with senior leadership.