Daily Times

As political parties ramp up their electioneering activities ahead of the February 8 polls, which are less than a month away, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sunday announced its list of candidates for National Assembly seats across the countries.

The party kicked off its election campaign earlier this week, which also saw PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif taking to the stage for the first time since his homecoming October power show in Lahore. The list, shared by senior party leader Ishaq Dar, has revealed that the PML-N candidates will contest on 212 NA constituencies across the country on February 8 – leaving as many as 51 NA seats uncontested.

PML-N supremo and former premier Nawaz will contest polls in NA-15 (Mansehra) and NA-130 (Lahore) constituencies. PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz will contest the election from NA-119 and Hamza Shehbaz will contest from NA-118 Lahore. On the other hand, party President Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the election from NA-123 and NA-132.

The constituencies where the PML-N has not fielded its candidates are: NA-4 (Swat-III), NA-19 (Swabi-I), NA-20 (Swabi-II), NA-21 (Mardan-I), NA-22 (Mardan-III), NA-44 (Dera Ismail Khan-I), NA-45 (Dera Ismail Khan-II), NA-48 (Islamabad-III), NA-54 (Islamabad-III), NA-64 (Gujrat-III), NA-88 (Khushab-II), NA-92 (Bhakkar-II), NA-117 (Lahore-I), NA-128 (Lahore-XII), NA-143 (Sahiwal-III), NA-149 (Multan-II).

Moreover, the candidates are also not contesting on NA-165, NA-185, NA-190 to NA-204, NA-206 to NA-210, NA-212, NA-214, NA-215, NA-217, NA-218, NA-221, NA-223, NA-224, NA-228, NA-239, NA-245, NA-264 and NA-266. The former ruling party, in its bid to strengthen its position in the province ahead of the upcoming elections, has been engaged in seat adjustment talks with various political parties, including Jahangir Tareen’s Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).

One of the reasons the PML-N has not fielded candidates in several constituencies is its seat adjustment agreement with the IPP – largely comprising of politicians who parted ways with Pakistan Tehreke-e-Insaf (PTI). A few days ago in an interaction with journalists, Shehbaz said he was confident of his party securing sufficient seats to form government in the centre as his elder brother Nawaz eyes becoming the prime minister for a record fourth time. With the party supremo back in Pakistan after nearly four years of exile, the PML-N believes it has got a much-needed boost – given the dismal performance during the 16-month tenure of the coalition government, headed by Shehabz.