LAHORE – Maryam Nawaz is said to be seeking a last-minute advice from keyparty leaders whether she should go for NA-125 or NA-127 in Lahore.
“Ms Maryam is in two minds about trying her luck from NA 125 — previouslyNA-120 from where her mother Begum Kulsoom Nawaz won the by-poll inSeptember last. There are (multiple) unfavourable factors in NA-125 at themoment forcing her to think about the NA-127 option,” a source told *Dawn* onFriday.
“Maryam Bibi is taking a last-minute advice from some important partyleaders before asking her uncle PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif to finaliseher name for NA-127,” the source said, adding that in NA-125 a number ofchairmen are not happy with the leadership and are hardly expected to workhard for Maryam’s campaign.
“Similarly, there has been a biradari vote (Arain factor) which many in thePML-N think may go in favour of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate DrYasmin Rashid. Besides, religious vote is likely to go against the PML-Ncandidate.
“Such factors are forcing Maryam to review her decision and she may deprivePML-N Lahore president Pervaiz Malik of his constituency (NA-127),” thesource said.
The PML-N, he said, won the by-poll with a margin of just 14,000 votesdespite hectic canvassing and use of the state resources.
NA-127 was previously NA-123 from where Pervaiz Malik bagged more than125,000 votes in 2013 and defeated PTI’s Atif Chaudhry with a huge margin.This time round the PTI has awarded ticket to Jamshed Iqbal Cheema on thisconstituency and the PML-N considers it one of the ‘safe bets’ out of the14 Lahore National Assembly constituencies.
“Ms Maryam has been advised not to take her chance on NA-125 and secure arather safer seat (NA-127),” the source said.