PML-N seeks fresh elections next year

Decides to holds party conventions across country to turn up heat on govt

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal has said his party wants fresh polls in 2020 as the nation can come out of the current political and economic crises only by installing a new government in the Centre.

“The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should devise – after consulting political parties –a foolproof mechanism to hold free and fair elections,” Iqbal said on Monday while talking to media after a meeting of the PML-N’s parliamentary committee, chaired by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

“National dialogue should be held for a free and fair election in 2020,” he added.

The PML-N leader said the party's parliamentary committee deliberated measures to enhance impacts of the anti-government campaign run by the opposition parties. “We have decided to strengthen the ongoing protest by holding party conventions across the country,” he said.

Iqbal said the opposition parties’ Rahbar Committee formed ahead of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl led Azadi March to hold talks with government will continue to work and discuss opposition’s future course of action in its next meeting.

“However, every party has its own Plan B and Plan C [to dislodge the government],” he added.

The JUI-F which camped in Islamabad for almost two weeks with the professed aim to remove the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led government ended its sit-in on November 13 claiming that now it would use its Plan B comprising sit-ins on important inter-city roads.

Iqbal said in the meeting the PML-N also decided to start a membership drive.

The PML-N leader lambasted the government for ‘fooling’ people on South Punjab province.   He said it was the PML-N that submitted resolutions for creation of Bahawalpur and South Punjab provinces but the PTI government has not taken any step in this regard despite passage of many months.

"Our party will, however, raise voice for the proposed provinces in the parliament again. The PML-N will also raise the issue of Hazara province,” Iqbal added.

He said the PML-N parliamentary committee also discussed challenges being faced by the country particularly the issues of rising prices, unemployment, poverty and bad governance. “The present government has destroyed infrastructure and departments particularly in Punjab,” he added.

Talking with reference to the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s treatment abroad, he alleged that the government delayed the process of Nawaz’s crucial treatment by at least 15 days.

“Mian Sahib should have left the country 15 days ago but the government created hurdles. The ministers also continued to issue sarcastic statement against the ailing former premier,” he added.

The meeting

Earlier at the parliamentary party’s meeting that took place at the PML-N’s Model Town office, it was decided that the party would expedite the process of the PML-N’s reorganization.

The party also resolved to hold workers conventions across the country to step up its political struggle against the economic and political steps of the incumbent government.

The meeting, chaired by the PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, also thanks the Almighty for removal or hurdles in former premier Nawaz Sharif’s treatment aboard.  It also thanked all other political parties, and individuals who expressed their best wishes for Nawaz’s health.

The meeting was attended by a number of PML-N lawmakers including Iqbal, former speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Raja Zafarul Haq and Rana Tanveer.