The former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, while talking to GEO News, said that if Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) gets a simple majority in elections, then PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif will be the next prime minister of Pakistan.
The former prime minister also said that PML-N needs to do more work for women’s empowerment, as the party is lacking in addressing this issue. He also said that the party is geared up to fix the economy when they win the election.
After a hectic election campaign, prominent leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) find themselves in an a quandary, as they gear up for the upcoming general elections.
Despite urging voters to support the party’s ‘sher’ electoral symbol, key figures within the PML-N will be unable to cast their votes for the animal on the National Assembly seat. Instead, they might vote for another animal.
Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz, all integral figures within the PML-N, are registered to vote in NA-128, where the party has entered into a seat adjustment agreement with the Istehkam-e-Pakistan (IPP) party.
Interestingly, in NA-128, the PML-N has decided not to field a candidate for the National Assembly seat, instead throwing their support behind IPP leader Aun Chaudhry, whose symbol is an eagle.
However, despite this alliance, the three PML-N leaders will still exercise their voting rights for PML-N candidate,Umar Sohail in PP-161.
The PML-N’s election strategy spans across the country, with the party contesting 212 NA constituencies on February 8, while leaving 51 NA seats open for rivals or allies.
Notable among their candidates are Nawaz Sharif, who will be contesting in NA-15 (Mansehra) and NA-130 (Lahore), Maryam Nawaz in NA-119 (Lahore), and Hamza Shehbaz in NA-118 (Lahore). Shehbaz Sharif is set to participate in the elections from NA-123 (Lahore) and NA-132(Kasur).
However, there are several constituencies where the PML-N has chosen not to field candidates, including NA-4 (Swat-III), NA-19 (Swabi-I), and NA-117 (Lahore-I), among others, as part of their strategic alliances and considerations for bolstering their position in the province.
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, had entered a seat adjustment agreement with Jahangir Tareen’s IPP.
Google Trends offer an insight into the popularity and curiosity political leaders enjoy among the masses. As the elections are drawing near, we took a peak into the data Google Trends have recorded over the last 30 days.
The highest and ever-increasing line graph is Imran Khan’s. The highest peak was shown on January 30 with Khan hitting the record 100 score whereas his contemporaries, Nawaz stood on 15, Maryam Nawaz at eight, Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari at three, and Hamza Shehbaz being the lowest: less than one.
However, it is important to note that Imran’s progressively increasing arc starts dropping successively in the days after Jan 30.
On the other hand, except for Hamza Shehbaz, the other three is slowly on an upward trend.
Breakdown of regions
PTI founder and jailed leader Imran Khan is most popular all over Pakistan according to Google Trends.
Punjab
In Punjab, the most popular choices for Chief Ministership, Hamza Shehbaz, and Maryam Nawaz contrary to popular perception, are not being searched so much. After Khan winning with more than 69 percent of searches, Nawaz Sharif is at 17 percent while Maryam is at nine percent. It appears that people in Punjab are comparatively more interested in Bilawal than Hamza who has 1 percent searches from all over the province.
However, it is important to note that out of all the provinces, Punjab has shown more interest in PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif. Sindh has shown the most interest after Punjab, which is 11 percent, 10 percent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, nine percent in Balochistan, and seven percent in former FATA.
Sindh
After Imran Khan (69 percent) former Foreign Minister and Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is unsurprisingly most popular in Sindh with 13 percent of Google searches. Second in line is Punjab and third is Balochistan. After him is Nawaz (11 percent) followed by Maryam (7 percent).
Balochistan
Imran Khan leading the slot here with 84 percent followed by Nawaz (9 percent), Maryam (4 percent), and Biawal Bhutto (3 percent). Hamza does not invoke public curiosity even the slightest.
Gilgit Baltistan
Imran Khan has a 100 percent popularity rate in Gilgit Baltistan, where it seems no other party leader stands a chance, implying that there were minor searches of them in GB.
Former FATA
Interestingly, in the former federally administered tribal areas, only Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif were searched for, Khan at 93 per cent of searches and Nawaz at seven percent.
Though Google search and Google trends are not the ultimate parameter of a party leader’s popularity, they certainly are proof of what netizens are most interested in and the social media footing of a politician.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief organizer Maryam Nawaz has urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters to stop indulging in what she described as politics of hate.
“Today I want to say that I am ready to forget all the oppression against us,” Maryam said. “I promise today and invite everyone to put an end to all this once and for all,” she said at a rally in Kasur.
“I want a Pakistan where the government concentrates on serving people instead of avenging the past,” she said.
In a recent appearance on the Hum News program ‘Faisala Aap Ka with Asma Shirazi,’ Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif stated that ‘Vote Ko Izzat Do’ has a different meaning.
When asked why the civilian supremacy narrative of ‘Vote ko Izzat do’ can’t be heard anymore, he said, “It means respecting the person who voted for me and fulfilling the trust they have shown in me.”
He claimed that the May 9 riots were a deliberate conspiracy against Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, masterminded by Imran Khan, the founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and his party.
Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the distinction between statements and conspiracies. He alleged that on May 9, the founder of PTI and his team conspired to create divisions within the military, leading to betrayal against Pakistan. He criticized PTI for diverting the nation from progress to chaos.
Sharif expressed his views on various matters, including the loss of PTI’s iconic electoral symbol ‘Bat,’ attributing it to the party’s missteps. He also commented on Imran Khan’s recent 10-year jail sentence, emphasizing that the issue is about upholding the law, irrespective of whether decisions are perceived as good or bad.
Responding to a question about PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s invitation for a public debate, Shehbaz Sharif said, “I’m in favor of Bilawal’s debate challenge but let him extend the invitation in his province for a fair comparison.”
Regarding political decisions, Shehbaz Sharif mentioned that if the majority is not attained through elections, consultations would be held. He confirmed that Nawaz Sharif would be the candidate for the premiership, subject to consultation, and the decision on the Chief Executive of Punjab would be made through consultation with Nawaz Sharif. The decision for the presidency would be made by the parliament.
Stressing the importance of political and economic negotiations, Shehbaz Sharif called for the completion of the five-year term in Parliament. He recounted an incident during tensions with India, where the founder of PTI allegedly refused to attend a meeting, leading the then head of the army, General Bajwa, to return in disappointment.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) head Nawaz Sharif criticised former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was given a 10-year sentence in the cipher case, by saying that he had never revealed any diplomatic document to save his government.
Sharif used strong words to slam Khan in an election rally in Bahawalnagar district on Tuesday, accusing him of plotting a “conspiracy” that compromised national security.
The PML-N supremo also praised the people of Haroonabad for coming out in large numbers to welcome him.
“Despite being subjugated, I had never revealed any state secret nor compromised national security,” Nawaz said while pointing fingers at Khan, adding that he “attacked” the country’s integrity to save his rule.
“I am still standing before the nation despite facing cruel oppression. I had been ousted from the premiership for not receiving a salary from my son. I was removed from the premiership thrice which also resulted in losses to the country.”
Nawaz Sharif also said that inflation was under control as well as farmers and common people were happy in his previous tenures.
The PML-N supremo blamed Khan for shaking the foundations of the country during his four-year rule.
During the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)-led government in 2023, Pakistan made improvements in its ranking on the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
The improvement in ranking shows that corruption decreased during the Shehbaz Sharif-led government as compared to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s tenure from 2018–2022.
According to TI’s previous report, corruption in Pakistan increased since 2018.
Imran Khan promised to wipe out corruption in Pakistan when he came into power. However, during his tenure, Pakistan’s ranking on the global corruption index went down, the opposite of what he had promised.
According to a TI report released on Tuesday, Pakistan is now on number 133 among 180 countries.
The previous report ranked Pakistan at 140, while the country’s overall score fell to 27 in the same year — the lowest since 2012.
The recent report from TI indicates that Pakistan’s score on CPI increased by two points from 27 to 29. Additionally, the country’s rank has improved by 7 positions.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has called on PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to avoid escalating political tensions and refrain from taking political rivalries to extremes.
The appeal comes in response to Bilawal’s proposal for a debate between him and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif ahead of the February 8 general elections.
Bilawal, during his election trail, has been critical of the PML-N, prompting responses from the top leadership of the opposing party. On Friday, Bilawal proposed a televised debate between him and Nawaz Sharif, citing the global practice of such debates to provide voters with crucial insights into candidates’ plans.
Shehbaz Sharif, in apparent response to the challenge, suggested that it would have been more meaningful if the invitation had been extended to Nawaz Sharif for an inspection of Sindh rather than a debate.
In a subsequent exchange, Bilawal demanded clarification on the city and date for the proposed debate. He also suggested Nawaz Sharif could visit Gambat in Khairpur to inspect the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences and compare it with Punjab’s hospitals.
“Mian Nawaz Sharif can debate with me in Gambat, Khairpur. He can come and visit the Gambat Institute of Medical Sciences, a hospital that surpasses any hospital in Punjab, and where all treatment is absolutely free,” Bilawal said.
He claimed that despite being the prime minister thrice, Nawaz had never once visited Gambat. “Or perhaps he would prefer to come to Tharparkar, where we can also inspect the infrastructure, and compare Thar with Cholistan. The coal project in Thar, which you and your brother opposed, is providing cheap electricity not to Karachi, but to Faisalabad,” he said.
In an interview on the Dawn News show ‘Live with Adil Shahzeb’ aired on Saturday night, Shehbaz Sharif commented on Bilawal’s proposal, acknowledging him as an educated youngster with a future in the country but cautioned against making the political situation tense and taking rivalries too far.
“I feel that the real thing to do at the end of the day is what we are thinking about the public and what will we end up doing for them. This is what people want to hear from us. They don’t want to hear someone bashing his rivals,” he said.
“The poor man is drowning in poverty and unemployment. He has been crushed and this is a ‘do-or-die situation’ for Pakistan,” Shehbaz concluded.
Shehbaz suggested that Bilawal could take Nawaz Sharif on a tour of Sindh instead of a formal debate, allowing for a discussion and comparison of the province. He emphasized the importance of focusing on the public and addressing their concerns, urging political discourse that revolves around the welfare of the people.
Responding to Shehbaz’s comments, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, on Sunday, reiterated his challenge for a debate and requested information on when and where Nawaz Sharif wishes to engage. He affirmed his readiness for any debate and scrutiny, asserting that deflecting from the challenge would not be effective.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bilawal emphasized the global norm of televised debates and the transparency they provide to voters. He stated that such transparency is crucial for an informed electorate before the voting process. The challenge for a debate continues to add a dynamic element to the political landscape as the general elections draw closer.
Independent candidate Qazi Tayyab Shahzad on Thursday decided to withdraw from NA-15 Mansehra in favour of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, SAMMA has reported.
Shahzad had announced that he will support the former prime minister in the upcoming general elections. According to the details, Tayyab Shahzad’s nomination papers were accepted, but he had decided not to take part in the elections.
The returning officer had issued a notification of Shehzad’s withdrawal from NA-15.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Saifullah Abro called on Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and expressed his trust in his leadership, announcing to withdraw from the election race in NA-194 constituency and promised to support the candidate of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
On the other hand, PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif promised to give youth loans after coming into power.
Addressing the public gathering in Mandi Bahauddin on Thursday, the former prime minister took a dig at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), saying, ‘’The long march was staged against Nawaz Sharif during his tenure as the premier. The Chinese president’s tour was delayed due to the PTI’s protests.’’
‘’Who were those people who were indulging in such tactics? The protests in Islamabad were staged, and foul language was embraced. The conspiracy against Nawaz Sharif was started after 2013,’’ Shehbaz Sharif maintained.
In an interesting interaction on X (former Twitter), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari shared videos highlighting the ‘reality’ of NA 127, an important constituency in Lahore.
Elections are around the corner and candidates from different constituencies are using social media platforms to convince voters to vote for them. Journalist and anchor person Mansoor Ali Khan took to X and shared an image of a banner.
“Banners displayed in Bilawal’s constituency,” the tweet said while banner stated, “Karachi nahi Lahore Chahiye”.
Bilawal quote tweeted this with two videos stating, “Meanwhile the ground reality of Lahore NA127.”
The videos showed debris and garbage in the constituency along with sewerage issues.