

Ousted Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif gestures as he addresses supporters at a rally after reaching his home city of Lahore on Aug 12, 2017.

LAHORE, PAKISTAN (REUTERS) - Pakistanis began casting votes on Sunday (Sept 17) for the parliamentary seat vacated by ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in a by-election seen as a test of support for the Sharif dynasty ahead of the 2018 general election.

Sharif's ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party hopes a resounding victory in in the eastern city of Lahore would show that support for the family was undiminished despite the Supreme Court's removal of Sharif in July.


Maryam, who some PML-N leaders see as a future leader, has framed the poll as a chance for voters to give a bloody nose to the judiciary by handing the party a thumping victory. "Will you take revenge for your disrespected vote?" Maryam asked supporters at a recent rally.


The Supreme Court in July disqualified Sharif because he did not declare a monthly salary, equivalent to US$2,722 (S$3,661), from a company owned by his son when the veteran leader, who had held power twice in the 1990s, became prime minister for the third time. Sharif denies receiving the salary.





Many of the 321,633 registered voters in the central Lahore NA-120 consituency are conflicted. "My head goes towards PTI while my heart goes towards PML-N," said Ali Raza, 25, a bank employee.

Kulsoom and Rashid will be competing against about 40 other candidates, including religious parties. One candidate is backed by a new party that is led by an Islamist firebrand who is subject to a US$10 million bounty offered by the United States.

Hafiz Saeed heads the Jammat-ud-Dawa charity, having founded and formerly led the Lashkhar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group that carried out the 2008 attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai that killed 166 people.

