Who will replace Maryam Nawaz in NA-127?

LAHORE: PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, who has been sentenced to seven years’ prison term by an accountability court in a graft case, will not be able to contest the July 25 general election. 

The accountability court on Friday handed down 10 years’ imprisonment to ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, while seven years’ jail term to his daughter Maryam Nawaz and one-year imprisonment to his son-in-law Captain (retd) Muhammad Safdar in the Avenfield properties case.

As a result of the verdict, both Maryam and her spouse have been rendered ineligible to contest the elections.

The relevant portion of the trial court’s verdict read: “The accused shall be disqualified to contest the elections or to hold public office for a period of ten years to be reckoned from the date he/she is released after serving sentence and they shall not be allowed to apply for to be granted or allowed any financial facility in for loan etc for a period of 10 years from the date of their conviction.”

The PML-N leadership is to decide on who will replace Maryam Nawaz in NA-127 (Lahore).

The former first daughter was lately allotted the party symbol of ‘lion’ for NA-127 and PP-173 after she submitted the PML-N ticket along with her nomination papers.

Some reports say PML-N Lahore president Pervaiz Malik’s son Ali Pervez Malik may run for the NA seat as he had filed nomination papers from this constituency as a covering candidate and had not withdrawn these.He was allotted the election symbol of TV.

Whereas, Imran Shafi Khokhar may contest from provincial assembly seat (PP-173).