LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has decided to contest on 12 National Assembly seats in central Punjab in the first phase of the by-polls to be held on March 16.

PPP central Punjab acting President Rana Farooq Saeed told a press conference here on Tuesday that the party hopefuls were submitting their nomination papers for the 12 constituencies, while applications from other aspirants had also been sought for the by-elections to be held on the next eight seats.

Claiming that the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was boycotting the by-polls, he said the PPP would not leave the field open for the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in the electoral contest and would field its candidates in all constituencies vacated by the PTI MNAs last month.

Flanked by Samina Ghurki, Faisal Mir, Azizur Rehman Chan and other party leaders, he said the PPP would neither become a part of any electoral alliance, nor leave any constituency open.

He said the party would also contest the general election for the Punjab Assembly, if and when held.

Rana Farooq said Imran Khan announced a ‘court arrest’ movement, but was abstaining from leading the campaign by courting arrest himself. He recalled that Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Azad and other worthwhile political leaders first themselves courted arrest, followed by their workers, whereas the PTI chairman was enjoying the cozy atmosphere of his Zaman Park abode, exhorting his followers to go to jails.

He called the former prime minister a “novice” in the political arena, for dissolving his own governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces “for nothing”, adding that had Imran been a statesman, he would not have left the assemblies.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2023