LAHORE: The PML-N is likely to field Shaista Pervaiz Malik, widow of former PML-N Lahore president Pervaiz Malik, for NA-133 bypoll to be held on Dec 5.

The seat fell vacant last week after the death of Mr Malik.

Currently, Shaista Pervaiz is an MNA on a reserved seat for women.

“The party leadership has decided in principle to award the ticket to Shaista Pervaiz. There has also been a tradition in the party to award a ticket to a family member of the deceased (party leader),” a senior party leader privy to the development told Dawn on Monday.

He said the party leadership had also sought consent of Shaista Pervaiz about contesting the by-poll. “Ms Malik had agreed,” he said.

If she wins, her reserved seat will be vacated as per law.

According to Electoral Laws and Conduct of Elections section 223-4, “if a member of either House or of a Provincial Assembly becomes a candidate for a second seat which, in accordance with clause (1), he may not hold concurrently with his first seat, then his first seat shall become vacant as soon as he is elected to the second seat.”

When asked by Dawn whether the party leadership had conveyed its decision to Ms Malik, MNA Ali Pervaiz (son of Mr Malik) said: “Whatever the party leadership decides about awarding the ticket (for NA-133 bypoll) my family will accept it.”

The Election Commission has fixed Dec 5 for bypoll in NA-133 and also issued code of conduct.

The ECP notification says: “No government or authority shall post or transfer any official in the district where the schedule for byelection in NA-133 is announced till the publication of name of returned candidate. No government functionary or elected representative including a local government functionary shall announce any development scheme for the constituency where election is under process till Dec 5.”

Candidates can file their nominations till Oct 25. Scrutiny of the papers will be done on Oct 30 and an appeal.

On the other hand, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has awarded the ticket to special assistant to the prime minister on food security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema. Mr Cheema, in the last general election, had contested an NA seat from Mughalpura area of Lahore and lost.

Mr Malik had defeated PTI Central Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry in the 2018 election with a margin of some 12,000 votes.

NA-133 covers the areas of Liaqatabad, Model Town Ext, Pindi Rajputan, Ismail Nagar, Kot Lakhpat, Chungi Amar Sadhu, Teharta Pind, Bagrian, Green Town, Township, Maryam Colony, Sitara Colony and Farid Colony.

It has over 370,000 voters.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2021