QUETTA/LAHORE (Web Desk/Dunya News) – Senior PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq on Monday reached Quetta, just a day before former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is scheduled to land in the provincial capital for his first visit since returning to Pakistan after years-long exile.
Sadiq – the former National Assembly speaker – has been assigned the task to reach out to the political leaders in smaller provinces, thus paving the way for a broader electoral cooperation in the February 8 polls.
It is his second visit to the country’s largest province in recent weeks after being a part of the PML-N team that held talks with the MQM-P, PML-F and JUI-F for a seat adjustment formula.
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The PML-N supremo is reaching Quetta on Tuesday (tomorrow) for forging new alliances and boosting his party’s organisation in Balochistan, as the three-time prime minister, despite his disqualification, eyes fourth term in office.
Nawaz – who is regarded as the comeback man – is confident of regaining power after his conviction in the NAB cases to achieve what has been considered an impossible by many who predicted the end of politics just like during his pervious exile when Pervez Musharraf had deported him to Saudi Arabia.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz – the party’s chief organiser will accompany him for his three-day visit to Balochistan where he is expected to close a seat-adjustment deal with the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) which is now led by Khalid Magsi.
The Balochistan-based party had parted ways with the PTI-led ruling alliance, paving the way for the success of a no-confidence motion which propelled Shehbaz to the prime minister’s office for a 16-month-long stint.
The planned agreement with the BAP comes after the PML-N last week secured a similar deal with the MQM-P in Sindh where discussions are on for extending the electoral collaboration to other parties like Pir Pagara’s PML-F and the JUI-F.
Nawaz is also expected to meet over 20 prominent political leaders and several of them will join the PML-N, boosting the party’s prospects in February 8 general elections.
Sources says some of those joining the PML-N’s ranks are the ones who had recently opted for the PPP which was till recently confident of making a government at the Centre and in Balochistan. However, the Bilawal Bhutto Zardari-led party is now unhappy with the recent developments, including the formation of IPP (Istehkam-e-Pakistan) and response Nawaz received after his return on Oct 21, while demanding a “level-playing field”.
Meanwhile, the three-time prime minister will also interact with the national leaders – both Baloch and Pakhtun – during his stay in Balochistan.
The visit also has a great symbolic significance given that it was Balochistan where the downfall of his government began after the change in party loyalty and shifting alliances ended the tenure of the then chief minister Sanaullah Zehri.
Both Zehri and Lt-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch had left the PML-N and later joined the PPP after criticising Nawaz and his policies after he accused the establishment of toppling his government, conviction and the controversial elections in 2018.