The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) appears to be in a precarious situation when it comes to distribution of tickets and adjustment of seats. It has to tackle two fronts – the first is how to award tickets among candidates within the party and second, adjusting seats with Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
There are already two camps within the PML-N – one group is of Shehbaz Sharif and the other Maryam Nawaz.
So, distribution of tickets is no easy task for the PML-N.
Under these circumstances, the party is unable to launch its election campaign despite the fact that less than a month is left for the much anticipated general elections on February 8.
But, which party has? Well except the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). The PPP’s election campaign has not reached top gear yet but its chairman and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari formally kicked off the drive from Lahore.
No other party has done that as yet. The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) is not too keen on elections being held in February. It has repeatedly been calling for delay in the polls, citing security and weather conditions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The same goes for various smaller parties. The Awami National Party (ANP), the Jamaat-i-Islami and even the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) are nowhere in the scene as for now.
The enthusiasm that used to be witnessed in the previous polls is somewhat missing this time. No one is sure of the reasons, but what seems apparent is the uncertainty of elections being held at all. Once in a while a voice echoes that wants the polls delayed, and then there is silence. This silence then has its effects on our politicians who are left double-minded. The election mood has not seeped into the general public either. Here or there, one or two might be talking about the polls but overall there is silence.
The supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) are quiet and not very vocal. Their presence on social media is not that evident either. However, some diehard activists of the party are confident that once elections are held and if the PTI candidates are given a level-playing field, the party would once again emerge as a force to be reckoned with. So, on the whole, it’s just the PPP that is actively campaigning. Let’s see when the PML-N switches on the election ignition.
