Keep option of fresh elections open, PM tells party

Imran says after gaining majority in Senate govt to enact legislation in public interest

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Imran Khan exhorted the core committee of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday to keep all political options in mind, including the option of fresh elections, as he took the top party leaders into confidence on various government decisions.

The prime minister also hosted a luncheon for the newly-elected senators from the PTI and other parties of the ruling coalition, where he announced the nomination of Senator Mirza Afridi as the government’s candidate for the post of deputy chairman of Senate.

Imran chaired the core committee meeting in which the current political situation, the Senate elections and the party’s organisational matters were discussed. The meeting expressed concerns over some governance issues and considered various suggestions to improve performance.

“We have to consider all options, including new elections,” the prime minister told the meeting. “We have the public support and will not back down. We are not here for power, but to change the [old] system, therefore, we cannot make compromises with the looters of the national wealth.”

The prime minister took the core committee into confidence on various government decisions. He directed the committee members to remain active in view of the current political situation, including the Senate elections.

The meeting also discussed the government’s strategy for the long march of the opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), which is scheduled to begin on March 26. Imran said that neither he came under pressure in the past nor would he come under any pressure in the future.

The purpose of the PDM long march, the prime minister told the key party leaders, was not the public interest but to get an NRO – a reference to the political amnesty granted by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf through the National Reconciliation Ordinance in 2007.

“Opposition wants to create chaos in the country through the politics of protests. It [the opposition] has failed before and will fail again,” the prime minister said. “I’m not the one who runs away [in the face of opposition],” he added.

The prime minister said that in the last two and a half years, the economy had been managed with great effort and difficulty. “For the next two years, the whole effort will be diverted to providing relief to the people and enacting legislation in the interest of the people,” he added.

“Despite obstacles everywhere, we are moving forward. The government has done many historic works which were not highlighted in the media because the opposition parties tried to hoodwink the people by making hue and cry on certain issues.”
In the meeting, Amir Kayani and Saifullah Nyazee gave a briefing on the party matters. The meeting was attended by governors of

Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chief Minister Usman Bazdar, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, key federal ministers and senior leaders of the PTI.Luncheon for senatorsThe prime minister hosted a luncheon for the senators of the PTI and allied parties.

Addressing the gathering, Imran said that unfortunately the government faced difficulties in the legislation process because of a lack of majority in the parliament for the last two and a half years.

“Hopefully, after getting majority in the Senate, legislation will become easier for us. In the next two years, all our efforts will be on the legislation in the public interest,” he said. “I’m aware of the people’s problems, including price hike,” he added.

The prime minister said that the government had put the economy back on track, but insisted that without rectifying the basic structure, temporary relief would not serve any purpose. “We want to give the country a system that is sustainable and effective,” he said.

He assured the government allies that he was aware of their concerns and would not disappoint them. He said that Mirza Afridi – a senator from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata)—would be the government’s candidate for the post of deputy chairman of the Senate.

Talking to reporters on the occasion, Afridi expressed the hope that the government candidates, including Sadiq Sanjrani for the post of the Senate chairman, would win the election, which is taking place in the upper house of parliament on Friday (today).

“We will fight hard in the Senate elections [and] we will win,” Afridi said. “We will represent and serve the underprivileged,” he added, praising the prime minister’s vision to bring candidates from backward areas.

Faisal Sabzwari, the newly-elected senator of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) told reporters that the issues facing the people of Sindh had been discussed with the prime minister, adding that “our demands are with the government” since August 2018.

On the election for Senate chairman, Sabzwari said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had asked for the party’s vote for the opposition candidate Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani. However, he stressed that the party would decide whom to vote for on Friday (today).

Senator Sarfraz Bugti of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) said that the prime minister once again nominated “our candidate Sadiq Sanjarani” for the post of the Senate chairman. “We are fully prepared to win the elections in a democratic way. We are hopeful that Sanjarani will win.”

Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar said that the PDM wanted to take the country into dark ages but on the other hand, “we and the government allies want to create a new Pakistan”. He added: “Tomorrow’s election will be another step towards Naya Pakistan.”