Election campaign Zardari in Punjab, Nawaz in Sindh

Saturday, September 15, 2012 - Islamabad—After facing tough resistance from important coalition partners and opposition parties to delay the general elections, President Asif Ali Zardari finally gave his mind in Lahore to top party leaders to prepare for general elections. Zardari had made a plan to postpone general polls and hold Local Bodies elections first to gain time to improve his government’s image. He tried to convince his coalition partners.

After failing, he gave another plan to PML (N) leader Nawaz Sharif offering him to become Prime Minister till September 2012 with a condition that he (Zardari) be supported to get re-elected as President from the present Parliament and provincial assemblies for five years, PPP sources said. PML (N) had rejected this proposal publicly describing it a “political suicide” of Nawaz Sharif.

A silent election campaign has already started by both political parties—PPP and PML (N). Zardari, who had confined his activities to president House, entered Lahore on Friday with a message to top PPP leaders in Punjab to prepare for elections in the biggest province of country on which hinges success of forming the next government in Islamabad. His visit to burnt factory workers along with Deputy Prime Minister Pervez Illahi was a signal to PML (N) that PPP was ready to give tough time in Punjab.

Nawaz Sharif is in Sindh with a message to PPP there will not be a walkover in Sindh now. While addressing a press conference in Karachi, his tone was aggressive mixed with reconciliatory signals to nationalists and PML (Functional), now opposing PPP. PTI is watching these developments closely.