LAHORE: As the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is exhausting its energies trying to block the Punjab elections, the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) has geared up preparation for upcoming polls.
Local media reported on Thursday that the preparation for the upcoming polls would be completed by Friday. Sources in the PPP claimed that the decision of awarding the tickets in Gujranwala, Lahore Urban, Rawalpindi and Sahiwal hve already been taken while the ticket-holders from Lahore Rural, South Punjab, Sargodha and Faisalabad will be finalised by Friday.
They said that PPP leader Faryal Talpur presided over a meeting to finalise the tickets via a video link. The PPP sources said that the PPP Punjab was moving ahead with its preparations, regardless of the developments unfolding in Islamabad. However, a PPP leader from Punjab Hasan Murtaza said that polls would not be held in Punjab on the given date, adding: “Elections will take place simultaneously across the country to ensure free and fair elections.”
He held that holding elections in Punjab would lead to “anarchy”. He said the PPP, despite its principles position on the matter, was completing its groundwork for the elections.
PML-N leader
On the other side, a senior leader from the PML-N, while talking to the Express Tribune, said that still there was no word regarding elections in the party. He said all the party candidates were preparing in their constituencies, but since they were not 100 percent sure to get the party ticket, they were not putting their best.
In many constituencies, he said, there were more than one candidates vying for the party ticket. He expected delay in the elections since “the PTI has also not finalized their candidates.”
