Lahore, Apr. 7: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has announced that he will contest the by-election from Lahore's National Assembly seat number 123 in May this year.

PML-N sources said that the seat has been vacated by party stalwart Javed Hashmi, who won from three constituencies in the last general election.

Five National Assembly seats have been vacated by the PML-N members out of which two are in Rawalpindi and one each in Lahore, Sheikhupura and Multan. The election for NA-119 was postponed after the death of a candidate.

According to The News, Sharif contested the election for the last time in February 1997 from his Gawalmandi constituency (previously NA-95). He has won from the constituency for five times consecutively.

A senior party leader requesting anonymity said quite a number of party workers from NA-123 in Lahore were insisting that Sharif should contest from their constituency, from where the PML-N has won since 1990. (ANI)