Party bigwigs, including Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Opposition Leader in Senate Muhammad Ishaq Dar, General Secretary Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Ghaus Ali Shah, Sardar Zanaullah Zehri, Pir Sabir Shah, Abdul Qadir Baloch, Pervez Rashid, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Khwaja Muhammad Asif and Khwaja Saad Rafiq as well as leaders from Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Sahiwal districts attended the meeting.
According to sources, the meeting discussed the names of candidates for 48 national assembly and 96 provincial assembly seats of the south Punjab for the upcoming general elections.
The meeting also discussed the potential candidates named by respective committees set up for the purpose, the sources added.
They maintained that the meeting agreed to field the previous election winners in the upcoming contest. The sitting also pondered the adjustment of new entrants from south Punjab and fresh candidacy of those party candidates who lost the previous poll with a narrow margin.
Discussing the party organisation in the southern parts of the province, the PML-N decided not to leave any loophole since it had an overwhelming desire to win maximum seats in south Punjab after the issue of the creation of a new province, the sources said.
The meeting discussed noted persons, groups and political factions that aspire to join hands with the PML-N. The terms and conditions as well as their worth in the upcoming elections remained under focus at the meeting, they added.
The sources claimed the party chief was also briefed on the proposed names for the interim prime minister. Nisar was assigned the task to share the names for interim prime minister with the opposition parties inside and outside the Parliament and in this connection, he got seven names. After consensus, two names would be presented to the government for choosing one, the sources said. The PML-N president was apprised of the party contacts with the opposition parties and the response received so far while consideration was given to furthering the process.
According to the sources say the meeting reiterated the resolve to have the general elections by March-April before the local bodies polls. The meeting also found ill will of the Pakistan People’s Party-led federal government and an act to create confusion that the government was seeking local bodies polls in Punjab at the same time yearning for its division in an arbitrary manner. The meeting expressed reservations on it.
