Lahore, June 13 : Political analysts in Lahore believe that former premier Nawaz Sharif’s party the PML-N has hijacked the ongoing lawyers’ movement demanding judges’ restoration, ahead of by-elections for NA and Punjab Assembly constituencies. The lawyers are currently organizing a long march to make their demands heard, and the PML-N is leaving no stone unturned to associate itself with it (long march) to gain political mileage.

It could be gauged from the fact that the public meeting organized at the Minar-e-Pakistan was a success, even as PML-N workers put in more energy to increase the strength of the rally as it moved to a point where Nawaz Sharif was to address the public meeting.

There were around 3000 people till high court premises, but as the rally progressed, PML-N workers swelled up and it turned out to be a mammoth gathering where Sharif addressed the participants, appealing those present to look after his election campaign as he was busy in other important issues, like restoration of judges.

Not only the PML-N, but the Punjab government machinery is also fully contributing in the long march under instructions by PML-N President and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The Punjab government is using all local administration machinery to facilitate the long march.

For example, the district government machinery set up all stages on the long march route in Lahore including the one that Nawaz Sharif used to address the participants. Similar facilities have been provided to long march participants all over Punjab, from Rahimyar Khan to Rawalpindi.

According to the Daily Times, the PML-N leadership has achieved two objectives – it has established that it is the real force behind the lawyers’ movement, and it successfully used the lawyers’ long march and the judges’ reinstatement issue to mobilise its workers for the coming by-elections in Lahore.

This is also evident from the selection of the venue for PML-N reception for long march participants on Thursday evening. The venue falls in the National Assembly (NA) constituencies NA-119 and NA-123 where Nawaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz are contesting the elections.

Nawaz Sharif reminded the audience in his speech that he was a candidate in the by-elections from a Lahore constituency, and told the participants to campaign for him since he was busy handling more important issues such as the one for which the long march was organized, the paper said and quoted some political analysts as saying that the PML-N was using the sacked chief justice for its election campaign. (ANI)