KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-N president Shahbaz Sharif is set to begin his election campaign in the city on Monday (today) where he is scheduled to arrive to stay for two days, local leadership of the party said on Sunday.

Mr Sharif is contesting on a Karachi constituency along with his traditional seat in Lahore for the first time where his party leadership sees brighter chances of his victory that could also affect positively on other party candidates in the city and Sindh as a whole.

Mr Sharif is a candidate on NA-249 (Karachi West-II), one of the five National Assembly seats in West district where the party fancies its chances in the backdrop of its good showing during the last local government elections.

They said the PML-N had won nine union committees of the district in those elections in total contrast of the party’s poor performance in the 2013 general elections when it had won just a single NA seat from Malir in the whole province.

That seat was won by Abdul Hakeem Baloch who defected to the PPP two years ago because of serious differences with the party. The party leadership, however, said with their top leader participating in the game “it will certainly positively impact on the party’s overall performance”.

“Key impact will be on the Sindh Assembly’s seats, which fall in the constituency Mian Shahbaz Sahib is contesting. And, his presence here will cause trickledown effect in the city in particular and the entire province in general,” said a senior PML-N office-bearer in the provincial leadership.

Mr Sharif’s constituency comprises Saeedabad, Gulshan-i-Ghazi, Naval Colony, Ittehad Town, Rasheedabad, Islam Nagar, and parts of Baldia Town, Mominabad, etc.

“Since the PML-N stands a good chance from this constituency Shahbaz Sharif will take his chances from NA-249,” a leader had earlier said.

Mr Sharif, who ruled Punjab as its chief minister for a decade on the trot, is scheduled to arrive here on Monday morning and will begin his campaign with meetings with industrialists and party’s local leaders.

Khawaja Tariq Nazeer, PML-N Sindh information secretary, said Mr Sharif would visit various parts of NA-249 and address corner meetings at certain designated places.

The party leaders said Mr Sharif was not visiting Karachi only for his own election campaign, since he was leader of the party he would be visiting as well the constituencies where the PML-N had fielded its candidates.

“He will also visit the constituencies where Miftah Ismail and other candidates of our party are contesting,” said a party spokesperson.

Visit to PPP strongholds

PML-N leadership said Mr Sharif would visit next day (Tuesday) rival Pakistan Peoples Party’s strongholds in Lyari and Malir where his party’s candidates had been fielded on NA-246 and NA-238 respectively.

PML-N Sindh president Shah Mohammad Shah is contesting on NA-238.

To boost Mr Shah’s chances on the ‘enemy’s turf’, said a PML-N leader, Mr Sharif was scheduled to address a public meeting at Dawood Chowrangi.

“During his address,” said a party official, “Mian Sahib will unveil our party’s priorities and manifesto for uplift of the country’s largest city.”

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2018