Maryam praises workers' efforts in NA-120 preparatory meeting

LAHORE: Former premier Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam Nawaz, said on Sunday that hundreds of thousands of people rejected the Supreme Court decision against the former premier in Data Darbar. 

Chairing a meeting in Model Town regarding the upcoming NA-120 by-election, she the upcoming by-poll is not about just one constituency. 

Addressing the participants, which included union council members as well as federal and provincial ministers and party leaders, Maryam said she has no words to thank them all. 

"God will reward your hard work. There should be no shortcoming in our efforts," she said, according to sources. 

"Nawaz has been bestowed with more respect than before. I will continue to work with you for the next eight months. You are the building whose each brick Mian Sb placed himself. We are nothing without you," said Maryam further.

Maryam is leading the campaign for her mother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Kulsoom Nawaz while she undergoes treatment for lymphoma in London.

By-election on the seat, left vacant after Sharif’s disqualification by the Supreme Court on July 28, will be held on September 17.

In today’s meeting, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Federal Commerce Minister Pervez Malik, provincial ministers Bilal Yasin and Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, MNA Shaista Pervez Malik and Ahmed Hasaan, among other party leaders, are in attendance.

Maryam Nawaz kicks off NA-120 campaign

Former PM's daughter will soon be going out into the field as part of NA-120 by-election campaign

Sources said the party’s strategy for the by-election is being discussed in the meeting.

Maryam is said to be holding a meeting with representatives of every union council which falls under the NA constituency. 

Yasin, the provincial food minister, won the 2013 election from PP-139, which falls under the NA-120 constituency of Lahore, while Rehman, the Punjab minister for excise as well as information, won the PP-141 constituency in the last elections.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate for the by-election, Dr Yasmin Rashid, continued her door-to-door campaign in the constituency on Sunday.

 

Visiting voters’ houses in Islampura locality, she said the Punjab Police is yet to register an FIR against ‘PML-N goons’ who assaulted her party workers last night.

Accompanied by party leaders Chaudhry Sarwar, Ijaz Chaudhry and Andleeb Abbas, Yasmin urged residents to vote for her in the upcoming by-poll. She lost the constituency to Nawaz Sharif in the 2013 General Elections.

On Saturday night, workers of both parties clashed on Abbot Road.

Yasmin then lodged a complaint at the Garhi Shahu Police station against threats and harassment of the party’s women workers.

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In a press talk later, she warned Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure no untoward incident takes place during the by-election campaign.

She vowed to hold Shehbaz directly responsible in case any untoward incident takes place.

A total of 44 candidates will contest the NA-120 by-poll. The Election Commission of Pakistan will establish 220 polling stations and 573 polling booths where the constituency’s 321,786 registered voters can cast their vote.