LAHORE – PML-N President Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is expected to contest the next elections for two National Assembly seats which will be decided today.
Party sources say that after deciding the seats, allocation for other key candidates, the party will most likely decide to put the PML-N president on two seats; one from Punjab and other from KPK.
Sources say that Nawaz Sharif is not in favour of pitting the main leaders of the party on more than two seats to avoid by-election in vacated constituencies.
Sources say that Nawaz Sharif will contest elections from NA-120, Lahore while other may be from Mansehra, KPK.
NA-120, comprises both commercial and residential areas of Krishan Nagar, Bilal Ganj, Outfall Road, Badami Bagh, Ravi Road and Mozang Adda, was won by Bilal Yasin of the PML-N in the last elections. Yasin, as the sources say, may be fielded for provincial assembly seat under the said constituency.
Sources say that the PML-N can announce the final list of its countrywide candidates for national and provincial assemblies on Thursday after re-examination of candidates by the reconstituted Central Parliamentary Board of the party headed by Nawaz Sharif.
The 34-member board also comprises provincial presidents of the party who previously presided over the provincial committees which now stand merged into the central board. The board will interview many candidates, besides receiving recommendation by the divisional committees. The board will announce the names of candidates on Thursday.
In the 2002 elections Nawaz was in exile and his nomination papers were rejected by the LHC election tribunal on the ground that signatures on nomination papers were not genuine. He could not contest elections in 2008 as well for legal reasons.