LAHORE: Announcing party’s withdrawal from electoral race in NA-118, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) General Secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government should take immediate steps to provide relief to people, including those who are unable to pay electricity bills and facing backbreaking price hikes.

Addressing a press conference here he announced his party’s support for PML-N’s candidate in NA-118, Dr Shizra Mansab Ali. PPP is sharing burden of difficult decisions taken by PML-N government in these difficult times. He said that inflation has reached its peak and rupee is in a free fall. All political parties, in this time of need, should work together, especially for flood victims, he added. PML-N leader Malik Nadeem Kamran thanked PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari for their support. Decision to withdraw candidate from NA-118 was taken despite stiff opposition from its local leaders that wanted party to contest elections and keep its voter base intact.  This decision was taken as part of understanding reached during initial days of Pakistan Democratic Movement whereby coalition parties were bound to leave field open for winning party if that party was amongst coalition partners. 

Unlike elsewhere in Punjab, PPP indeed has a sizable vote bank in Nankana Sahib. During 2018 general elections, PPP candidate Shah Jahan Bhatti secured around 18,700 votes, when a winning margin between successful candidate Ijaz Shah and runner-up Shezra was only around 2,500 votes. 

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 27 2022

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