LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah Khan announced on Wednesday that the party had finalized its candidates and would release the final list by this evening or tomorrow, amid rumors of disagreements over tickets.
Sanaullah stated, “Work has been done on tickets; we will issue the list this evening or tomorrow,” while making an appearance on the “Geo Pakistan” segment of Geo News. He further stated that the finalization of the PML-N’s seat adjustment negotiations with the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), led by Jahangir Tareen, had taken place.
The News had earlier reported, citing sources, that the PML-N and the IPP were engaged in negotiations for a while, but the talks were stuck because the latter wanted more seats than the former could provide.
Contrary to the IPP’s proposal for 13 NA seats and 22 provincial seats, they claimed that the PML-N has now agreed to accommodate the IPP on seven National Assembly and 11 provincial assembly seats.
According to Sanuallah, in the interview, PML-N and PML-Quaid have also agreed on seat adjustments for Gujrat and Bahawalpur.
There will be 60 PML-N rallies across.
Concurrently, Sanaullah declared that Nawaz Sharif will spearhead the party’s election campaign, kicking off public events on January 17 and organizing rallies in 12–15 divisions. He also disclosed that Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam will begin holding their electoral rallies on January 15.
The PML-N chief also revealed that Hamza Shahbaz will host rallies in Lahore and other Punjabi districts.
While outlining the specifics of the party’s electioneering campaign, Sanaullah declared, “PML-N will hold 60 rallies in the country.”
Party ticket disputes remain unresolved in the PML-N.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was reportedly withholding its final candidate list earlier today due to unresolved conflicts among ticket contenders.
The article claims that the most recent dispute originated in Balochistan, where Dr. Muhammad Ayub Baloch, a PML-N candidate from NA-258 (Panjgur), said the party preferred someone electable over him.
During a press conference, Baloch charged that the province leadership had given preference to a non-party local leader. Additionally, he asserted that he had begun his election after receiving the party ticket in the beginning.
Dr. Baloch pleaded with the party hierarchy to step in right away and resolve the issue.
The PML-N ticket candidates from PP-171 (Lahore) have also met in person in Lahore.
Both Mian Sahib Ghani and PML-N leader Khawaja Ahmed Hassan were campaigning in the constituency with the hopes of winning the party ticket.
The News was informed by PML-N Secretary of Information Marriyum Aurangzeb that the party has not yet released tickets for any Punjabi seats. The party would shortly reveal the final names, she claimed.
Additionally, a meeting of the PML-N Central Secretariat in Model Town was attended by the core committee of the party’s minority wing in Punjab. Attendees at the gathering included representatives of the minority wings, party ticket holders, and holders of reserved seats for women.
To abstain is Aisha Ghaus Pasha
It’s interesting to note that Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha, the former state minister of finance, is not listed among those who have been given tickets for reserved women’s seats.
The News was informed by sources that Dr. Pasha did not seek for the ticket because, during her previous term in office, she struggled to express her professional opinion. On the restart of the postponed International Monetary Fund (IMF) program from October 2022 to June 2023, state minister Dr. Pasha disagreed with previous finance minister Ishaq Dar.
She believed that, as a professional and technocrat, she was not given enough room to voice her opinions on important economic matters.
Due to personal obligations, she had requested a lengthy leave of absence and made hints that she would not return to her role as state minister.
But upon her return, she persuaded Shehbaz Sharif, who was prime minister at the time, to continue the IMF program. Following this, they agreed to sign a new short-term bailout package of $3 billion under the SBA program.
Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha was the one who encouraged Shehbaz to speak with the managing director of the IMF, setting up their encounter on the fringes of the Paris flood donor commitments conference.
Dr. Pasha declined to comment when asked about the matter.
Tariq Bajwa, the former special assistant on finance, is now seen as more aligned with the PML-N, and should the party regain power.
