It came as no surprise when Maryam Nawaz acquired nomination papers for Lahore's NA-125 (formerly NA-120). It's where Nawaz was elected in 2013, and where Kulsoom won the by-poll last year. Maryam was a big part of both campaigns, and is a known face in the constituency now.

So far, she has filed nomination papers for both NA-125 and NA-127, but an insider says she is expected to file papers for a third NA seat from another part of Punjab.

"She will choose any one of the Lahore seats on [the basis of] a party survey report," the insider told Dawn.

Another Dawn report quoting a senior PML-N leader said that she is likely to contest for a seat other than NA-125 since Nawaz has asked her to build her own constituency and establish her credentials as an independent political figure.

But Shireen Mazari thinks that PTI's NA-125 candidate, Dr Yasmin Rashid, "has sent Maryam Nawaz into a state of fear so she will not contest from NA -125... Instead Ayaz Sadiq it seems will be facing Dr Yasmin!"

Interestingly, a couple of days ago, news channels ran tickers claiming that a 'secret survey' conducted by the PML-N showed Maryam would lose in NA-125. We haven't been able to confirm the reports.