PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz starts playing Punjab card during electioneering
PML-N VP Maryam Nawaz has started playing Punjab card during electioneering for the by-elections on 20 vacant seats of the Punjab Assembly.
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz has started playing Punjab card during electioneering for the by-elections on 20 vacant seats of the Punjab Assembly on July 17.
PML-N VP Maryam Nawaz led three public gatherings in different constituencies of Punjab ahead of by-elections in which he consistently termed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former premier Imran Khan as an enemy of Punjab. Instead of calling for the development and prosperity of the nationals across the country, Maryam Nawaz vowed to work for the betterment of the Punjab people.
She had also announced in a public gathering a financial relief package for the people of Punjab by the chief minister. It is not a new tactic as PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have always marketed the province-based cards in Punjab and Sindh respectively.
On the other hand, PTI emerged as the symbol of federation in Pakistan as Imran Khan always talked about the national interests indiscriminately of their province, culture and religion. Imran Khan built a narrative of fighting the menace of corruption and the government formed on the basis of a foreign conspiracy.
Moreover, the PTI chairman also appealed to the people of Punjab to reject the turncoats during the upcoming by-polls.
The PTI built a strong narrative of ‘foreign conspiracy’ supported by ‘political rivals and turncoats’ against the ‘best-performing government led by former prime minister Imran Khan’ which was collecting ‘economic achievements’ and ‘successful controlling of inflation’.
A tough contest is likely to be seen between the two political parties and their allies ahead of Punjab chief minister’s elections on July 22. Both parties will exhibit their full strength to win the upcoming by-polls that will directly impact the Punjab CM elections to have numbers to change the fate of the largest province’s politics.
The upcoming by-polls will be a tough challenge for the formerly ruling and the present opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the 20 vacant seats of the Punjab Assembly on July 17 against the presently ruling and the formerly opposition party, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N).
Number game
At this time, the ruling PML-N with its Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz has an edge of four more votes until the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) notifies the PTI lawmakers on five reserved seats before the CM’s elections. The ruling PML-N will get a concrete position in the Punjab Assembly if it wins 10 seats to emerge victorious in CM’s elections.
On the other hand, PTI will need to get victorious on 14 seats to possess a winning position in the upcoming CM’s polls. The political party would be having no other option than to divert its attention to the independent candidates if it loses more than six seats.
