Nawaz asks Hamza to monitor Daska by-poll campaign

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has asked Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz to monitor the election campaign for the bye-election in Daska for NA-75 seat that is scheduled to be held on April 10, sources told The News here on Monday.

Sources said Hamza Shahbaz may not be able to show his physical presence in Daska as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has directed him and other public office holders not to visit Daska before the bye-election.

“Hamza Shahbaz has now practically got involved in the political campaign after a long gap due to his 20-month detention in money laundering case. He will monitor the election campaign in coordination with the party wings during the bye-election in Daska,” sources said.

Sources said Nawaz Sharif has not lowered the role of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz as he also asked her to hold public rallies in Daska in the coming week. They said Maryam Nawaz is now feeling quite well and she has also informed Nawaz Sharif and other party leaders about her availability for the election campaign.

Sources said Hamza Shahbaz holds strong grip over the party wings and local organisations in the Punjab province as he worked hard at the grassroots level during the successive PML-N governments in the Punjab province. “PML-N will make groups of party workers that will monitor the polling and counting process at every polling station. These groups will also coordinate with the polling agents to ensure that they get complete official results of their respective polling stations,” the sources said.

Sources said Nawaz Sharif has also made former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as main focal person for election campaign in NA-249 Karachi that would be held on April 29. They said PML-N leader Amir Maqam was also there to help run election campaign of party candidate Miftah Ismael and now Shahid Khaqan Abbasi would head it on the directives of Nawaz Sharif.

Sources said Maryam Nawaz would also hold public rallies in Karachi to mobilize the support base of party at the grassroots level before the bye-election.

When contacted, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told The News that “The party leadership has assigned the task to Hamza Shahbaz to monitor election campaign for Daska’ by-polls. Similarly, I will run the election campaign for Miftah Ismail in Karachi for NA-249 seat.”

To a question, he said “Maryam Nawaz will hold rallies and public meetings both in Daska and Karachi. She will mobilise the party workers to help our candidates win in both the constituencies.”