With the upcoming general elections looming, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has revealed its party candidates for the National and Punjab Assemblies, and it appears that familial ties play a significant role in the nominations. The party has allocated tickets to over 30 family members, with a notable presence of father-son, father-daughter, husband-wife, brother-in-law, mother-son, father-in-law, and uncle-nephew combinations among the candidates.
In the prominent line-up, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz are set to contest the National Assembly polls from Lahore. Similarly, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz are entering the fray for both the National Assembly and provincial assembly seats.
Read more: Horse trading and dirty politics of PPP & PML N
Notable instances include Saiful Mulok Khokhar, the PML-N Lahore President, securing a National Assembly ticket, while his son Faisal Ayub is nominated for the provincial assembly. Additionally, the list features Afzal Khokhar and his nephew Irfan Shafi Khokhar from Lahore, Awais Leghari and his son Amar Leghari from Dera Ghazi Khan, and Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafiq from Lahore.
Other family connections highlighted in the candidate lineup include former minister Syed Basit Bukhari and his daughter from Muzaffargarh, Iqbal Chanar and his son from Bahawalpur, and Chaudhry Khalid Javed Waraich with his son from Toba Tek Singh, among others.
In an attempt to introduce new faces, the PML-N has included eight candidates for the National Assembly in Punjab, including Bilal Azhar Kayani and Attaullah Tarar. The party has also allocated tickets to six women for the National Assembly and three for the provincial assembly in Punjab, with notable names like Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Saira Afzal Tarar.
As the political landscape takes shape for the elections, PML-N’s candidate selection underscores the prevalence of family connections within the party’s leadership.
Read more: PML-N Denies Proposing Changes to the 18th Amendment