LAHORE: The PML-N is considering a proposal that the party’s mainleadership — Shahbaz Sharif, his son Hamza and Maryam Nawaz — shouldcontest on at least three National Assembly constituencies in the upcomingpolls.

“I have floated a proposal in the parliamentary board that our leadership– Shahbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz — should contest on atleast three National Assembly seats. (if) Imran Khan (PTI chairman) iscontesting on some four NA constituencies, why not our leadership contestat least on three,” PML-N senior leader and former provincial law ministerRana Sanaullah told Dawn here on Tuesday.

To a question about the possible constituencies from where Shahbaz andMaryam would contest, Mr Sanaullah said: “In addition to Lahore’s, theother constituencies can be of Faisalabad and other parts of the country,”he said.

When asked would the board give Hamza a ticket from Lahore given the caseshe was facing and would he return to the country, he said: “Hamza isreturning home today and he will contest the election.”

Hamza is facing a National Accountability Bureau probe in the Punjab SaafPani Company scam, besides being booked on Supreme Court orders forallegedly torturing and harassing Ayesha Ahad, who claims to be his wife.He had skipped his last appearance before the NAB.

About award of ticket to PML-N senior leader and former interior ministerChaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, he said although he (Nisar) did not appear beforethe board for an interview, “I think the board is willing to award himparty ticket. But it is not clear whether he was interested in contestingthe July 25 polls from PML-N platform.”

On the other hand, a source says Maryam, who is likely to contest fromNA-125 (previously NA-120), from where her mother had won a by-poll, hasgot conducted a survey to check her party’s popularity graph in theconstituency.