Sharifs' Model Town residence declared PML-N's headquarters for 2018 polls

LAHORE - Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday kicked off 2018 election campaign, deciding to make his family’s Model Town residence the “political headquarters” of the PML-N for the next polls.

The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting presided over by Nawaz Sharif at his Jati Umra, Raiwind, residence here. Maryam Nawaz, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafique, former law minister Zahid Hamid, the adviser to the prime minister Musaddiq Malik and Hamza Shahbaz, son of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, were also present in the meeting.

Hamza, who was previously using the 18-H, Model Town, residence for the local body elections and by-polls, was especially called to convey the decision.

“The PML-N’s 2018 election campaign today (is) kicked off. The Model Town residence will be the party’s headquarters from where the election campaign 2018 will be monitored. Various party cells like election, media and legal will operate (from) there. The meetings of party leaders and workers will also be held there in connection with the forthcoming elections,” Senator Pervaiz Rashid told the local media after the meeting.

He said Nawaz Sharif had called the party’s central working committee next week to approve the decision. “We have not spent a penny on this office from the government’s kitty. Today we did our homework regarding working of different cells and committees in connection with this year’s election. In the next week’s meeting we will also constitute the election board (for short-listing of candidates),” Rashid said, expressing the hope the party would sweep the election.

The Model Town residence of the Sharifs remained chief minister’s camp office till it was de-notified to facilitate Maryam Nawaz to run NA-120 by-poll campaign from there, last September. After running a successful by-poll campaign for her ailing mother Kulsoom, Maryam also held a social media convention a couple of months ago. With Maryam taking over the residence during NA-120 by-poll, Hamza’s political activities there virtually ended.