LAHORE: The ruling PML-N is working out a strategy for forthcoming local body polls in Punjab, envisaging a pro-active role for the party activists and its parliamentarians.

A senior party official told Dawn on Sunday seeking anonymity that a cell headed by Hamza Shahbaz, the son of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, is working on a strategy for the local polls and the same will be conveyed to the workers before the month’s end.

The local polls in Punjab are due on Sept 20 after a delay of around six years.

The plan envisages a mass-contact task for the activists, fully engaging all party cadres, besides resolution of issues among PML-N MNAs and MPAs in various constituencies.

According to him, the party is taking the polls as “a mid-term measurement of its performance and popularity” and it may help formulate its policy for the next general election due in 2018.

Party to also assess popularity of its MPs

It will also serve as a litmus test for the popularity of the party’s parliamentarians in their respective constituencies, he adds.

Responding to a question about delay in the electoral exercise, he claims that Punjab has decided to take ownership of the elections and will discourage its postponement on any pretext.

About the likely floods during September and their possible impact on the local elections, he says the natural disaster usually affects only a few districts and won’t hit the whole exercise. In such a situation, he says, the Election Commission can always make adjustments and there will be no need to postpone the polls in other districts.

Answering a query about delimitations of the constituencies, he says as the amended local body law has empowered the Election Commission instead of the district coordination officers (DCOs) in this regard and has also given a right to appeal before the Provincial Election Commissioner, it is expected there will be few grievances about the process.

He, however, admits that the PML-N is anxious about the ECP code of conduct that bars cabinet members from visiting the constituencies after schedule of the local body polls is announced.

“At a time when the whole province will be involved in the elections how the chief executive could remain confined to his office or residence?” he asks.

Moreover, he argues that when rival Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan will be running election campaign of his party, Shahbaz Sharif too should at least be allowed to oversee his own camp.

Published in Dawn, April 6th, 2015

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