RAWALPINDI: A day after holding a workers’ convention in Rawalpindi, PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz held meetings with local party leadership and ticket holders and asked them to kick off the election campaign in the division in light of imminent polls.

In a meeting with party leaders who contested on the PML-N platform during previous elections, Ms Nawaz said that a door-to-door campaign should be started ahead of the elections.

She said Pakistan was facing the “worst economic situation” and blamed Imran Khan’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the economic mess.

In a separate meeting that discussed organisational affairs of the party, the PML-N senior vice president told party leaders that she will make the party organisations active at all levels. The meeting was attended by presidents and general secretaries of various districts of the division.

She asked the party leaders that there was time to show unity in the ranks of the party to enter the political battle in the coming days. She said that there was a need to create awareness among the people about the economic measures taken by the government.

Ms Nawaz claimed that Rawalpindi, where the party is struggling as a result of reported factionalism, was still the bastion of the PML-N. She said Nawaz Sharif wanted to strengthen the party along modern lines while giving more importance to party workers in the region.

PML-N chief organiser wants an end to infighting, urges door-to-door drive

She also added that cases against PTI chief Imran Khan were not instituted on the basis of political revenge. “Everyone knows Imran Khan stole from Toshakhana and was also proven guilty in the prohibited funding case,” she claimed.

‘Infighting’

After the meeting of the ticket holders, a senior leader of PML-N said that the infighting within the party was visible during the meeting.

It may be noted here that two groups led by Hanif Abbasi and Sajjad Khan are vying for tickets in the upcoming elections.

The senior party leader said Sajjad Khan got the ticket for by-polls on the NA-60 seat because Mr Abbasi was sent to jail in a drug case. However, Mr Khan lost the election to Sheikh Rashid Shafique.

Now, both groups want the ticket for the NA seat – Mr Abbasi intends to field his son in the constituency while Sajjad Khan thinks he is more deserving due to his services for the party during Mr Abbasi’s time in jail.

During the meeting of the party leaders, the local leadership sought early allocation of tickets to put an end to infighting for the sake of effective electioneering. However, the party leadership informed the participants that the committee would select candidates after getting a green signal from PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif.

Ms Nawaz also brought up the poor performance of Rawalpindi leadership during the 2018 polls.

“Maryam was informed that the Rawalpindi chapter did not win the elections due to ‘hidden hands’ and that the defeat had nothing to do with groupings in the party,” the leader said, adding that Ms Nawaz, however, stressed that unity in the party was necessary before entering the electoral fray.

When contacted, PML-N Metropolitan President Sardar Naseem told Dawn that Maryam Nawaz has asked the party leaders to improve their performance in their constituencies and union councils.

Meanwhile, during the meeting of the women’s wing, Ms Nawaz said the party would empower women workers in Rawalpindi.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2023