LAHORE: PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday obtained nomination papers to contest her first ever election on the National Assembly seats NA-125, a stronghold of the party, and NA-127.

Through her representative, Ms Nawaz secured the nomination forms from the office of the district returning officer.

Before the latest delimitation conducted by the Election Commission of Pakistan, NA-125 was NA-120, which the PML-N has never lost even during a dictatorship.

In the 2013 general elections, ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif was elected to the assembly from NA-120 defeating Dr Yasmin Rashid of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf with a considerable margin.

After the disqualification of Mr Sharif in Panama Papers case by the Supreme Court, his ailing wife Kalsoom Nawaz was elected as MNA from the same constituency in last year’s much-hyped by-election.

Meanwhile, 439 candidates obtained nomination papers for various National Assembly constituencies of Lahore.

Former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, former adviser to prime minister Haroon Akhtar, Syeda Imtiaz Fatima, Matloob Ahmad Saffi were among 40 candidates who obtained nomination forms for NA-133. Faiza Malik of PPP and 13 other candidates secured the nomination papers for NA-135.

As many as 650 candidates secured nomination papers for 30 seats of Punjab Assembly. Bilal Yasin, Rana Mubashir, Rana Mashhood, Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Rana Sohail and Maqsood Alam were among the prominent names. The district returning officer would display the initial list of candidates on June 8, the last day for submission of nomination papers.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2018