PML-N to field candidates in all Punjab constituencies: Sana

PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah announced on Friday the party’s decision to field candidates in all constituencies of Punjab for the forthcoming general elections, indicating that his party would be contesting the polls solo in the province.

Making the announcement at a news conference in Lahore, the minister affirmed that no alliances will be formed with other parties for the elections. Seat adjustments could, however, be made in a few constituencies under unavoidable circumstances.

He said the party was committed to fully participating in the electoral process in Punjab. As a result, PML-N intends to nominate its candidates from all 297 provincial and 146 National Assembly constituencies across the country.

Sanaullah noted that the party had not nominated candidates in certain districts in previous elections, but has now taken on this challenge because the party has been organised down to the Union Council level.

Recalling the party’s tenure from 2013 to 2018 and the party supremo’s removal, he pointed out that if Nawaz Sharif had not been ousted, the country would be on the path of development and there would be no unemployment.He bemoaned that Nawaz was “punished” at a time when the country was at the precipice of becoming an economic power after becoming a nuclear power. “Every time the country fell into crisis, Nawaz Sharif was the one who pulled it out. But every time, he was punished," he continued.

‘Hoping there would be no conspiracy against Nawaz’

In a tacit reference to PTI chief Imran Khan, the minister also regretted that an “element” was launched after 2017 to divide and poison the country's politics again like in 1999 due to which the country’s development came to a halt. It also brought the country closer to default, he said and added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government, under the guidance of Nawaz Sharif, brought the country out of the crisis in a short time span of one year.

“We promise that after the success in the upcoming elections, we will continue working for the development of the country. We will overcome inflation, increase people's income, resolve their issues and ensure the supremacy of the law. We will provide a better future for the youth and promote tolerance,” Rana Sanaullah added.

He said that the PML-N hoped that this time, there would be no conspiracy against Nawaz so that the country could continue the journey of development, adding that the PML-N did not believe in revenge and hatred, but in taking the country towards development.

Responding to a query, Sanaullah said that the action against individuals and groups involved in May 9 incidents was not political revenge. He said action should be taken against those according to the laws of the country. Apart from those responsible for the incidents of May 9, no action was being taken against anyone else.Regarding the arrest of the PTI chief, he said the relevant institutions were continuing their investigation, adding that matters were in progress. He said some miscreants had been caught so far, while the masterminds of May 9 would also be brought to book.

The minister said that in the upcoming elections, people would decide who had done what for the country in the past, and then it would be easy for them to choose the right leadership. The PML-N parliamentary party would decide about prime ministerial or chief ministerial candidate, whereas Nawaz Sharif's consultation would be mandatory in this regard, he added.

To a question, he said that political dialogue had been continued for a whole year, but one political party had refused to engage in the talks process, saying that the PML-N, after coming to power again, would steer the country out of all crises besides taking action against those who rigged the 2018 elections.

Later, Rana Sanaullah also chaired the PML-N Punjab party meeting, which was attended by the party's senior leader Pervaiz Rasheed, Anusha Rehman and others.

During the meeting, it was decided that lists would be sought from all party organisations about the party candidates in all constituencies. The meeting also decided to field the PML-N candidates in each and every constituency and finalise preparations to accord a warm welcome to the party supremo upon his arrival in the country.

(With Input from APP)