Nawaz’s return 'restored' PML-N’s level-playing field

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD:

PML-N said on Tuesday that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s return has restored the level-playing field for the party after it was deprived of it back in 2017, saying he would soon meet the heads of the political parties who remained a part of PML-N’s last coalition government and begin his visits to provinces as well.

Following his return to Lahore from London on October 21, PML-N Quaid has formally started calling the shots as he summoned a high-level meeting of the party to deliberate on the ongoing political situation, upcoming general elections and resumption of his political activities after returning to Pakistan.

After the first party huddle in Pakistan, which was presided over by Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday after a gap of four years, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said that the party has decided that Sharif would meet heads of the key allies of the previous government, start his country-wide meetings, ordered fresh party manifesto and emphasised on working together with other political parties on key issues despite having a difference of opinion for the betterment of country and democracy.

In response to a question, the PML-N secretary general said that the party feels that elections should immediately be held as sustainable economic stability can only come when an elected government comes with a five-year mandate.

The reforms that the country needs can only be performed by an elected government, Iqbal said, saying the investors also put things on hold before the elections.

“Polls should immediately be held in line with the constitution,” he said, adding the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has already announced last week of January 2024 for holding general elections and, hopefully, the polls would be held at that time and ECP would soon announce the exact date as well.

Following the meeting at Jati Umra, Lahore, the PML-N secretary general said that PML-N has always adopted the policy of reconciliation on key national issues, saying the country’s current condition demands eradicating of polarization and disintegration.

Read Nawaz’s deal with establishment 'finally exposed’: Aitzaz

He said PML-N successfully led the then opposition alliance – Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) – and then led a coalition government for 16 months as it believes in working together with other political parties.

In the next political and electoral phase, Iqbal said, all political parties should continue strengthening the country and democracy by working together despite having different party manifestoes and policies. He said that the door for negotiations should always be kept open for the betterment of the country.

In the coming days, Iqbal said, Sharif would soon meet the heads of the parties who remained allies in the previous PML-N coalition government.

“We all want to see the rule of law in the country; we want to see a strong democracy and economy in the country,” Iqbal said, “if we want to make a national action plan for the economy or if we want to have a charter of democracy, it is only possible when all the political parties talk to each other and try to reach a consensus on key issues.”

‘PPP stole level playing field from Nawaz in 2017’

Taking a jibe at PPP, he said that those who were asking for a level playing field now were responsible for stealing it from Nawaz Sharif in 2017, citing the Panama case as an example.

To a question about the level playing field and the notion that political parties’ issues were being solved by someone else, Iqbal said that PML-N was resolving all its issues by itself and wasn’t “looking toward anyone”.

He said that those demanding a level playing field now had snatched it from PML-N in 2017 as they helped to get Sharif removed through the Panama scandal.“With Nawaz Sharif’s return, PML-N’s level-playing field is being restored,” he said, saying PPP’s level-playing field was present in the shape of Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Sharif is returning to parliamentary politics as all the “characters” who had committed the conspiracy of removing Sharif have gone, he said, PPP should be happy that all political parties are getting a level playing field.

'PTI responsible for its own woes'

Regarding PTI’s situation, Iqbal said that the party itself was responsible for whatever was happening to it.

He said PTI should answer questions such as their mass resignation following the no-confidence motion against former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the dissolution of two provincial assemblies, the reasons behind attacking the civil and military installations like terrorists on May 9, and the alleged campaign against Pakistan worldwide wherein they urged U.S officials and others to cease aid to Pakistan and suspend the IMF programme.

He said even the Indian intelligence agency RAW couldn’t run a campaign against Pakistan the way PTI allegedly did, “they are themselves responsible for whatever is happening to them.”During the meeting, the PML-N leadership while reviewing the overall political situation of the country decided to immediately begin the election campaign for the upcoming general elections slated to be held in the last week of January 2024.

PML-N invites applications for NA and PA

From November 1, the PML-N’s secretary general said, the party will start the process of collecting applications from the potential candidates for the provincial and national assembly seats for the next general elections.

The party’s secretary general said that the last date for submitting applications for getting PML-N’s ticket for the 2024 elections.

Not too long ago, the year 2023 was labelled as the election year but things got delayed when the previous coalition government approved census results just days before dissolving the national assembly in August this year and it led to a delimitation process afresh.

In fact, the assembly was deliberately dissolved so that an additional month could be obtained for the election campaign as, under the constitution, elections must be held within 60 days if the national assembly completes tenure or they should be held within 90 days if the assembly is dissolved before completion of its tenure.

However, neither the polls are going to take place within 60 nor 90 days’ period as ECP had announced that polls would take place in the last week of January once the delimitation exercise is completed. Previously, the 90-day constitutional limit for holding elections wasn’t abided by in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when PTI had dissolved both provincial assemblies.

During the meeting, it was also decided that the party would establish its central and provincial parliamentary boards as well as election cell to kick-start its election campaign.

Iqbal revealed that Senator Irfan Siddiqui has been appointed as the head of PML-N’s manifesto committee, saying he would draft the party’s manifesto carrying solutions for the political, economic and legal issues for the upcoming elections.

PML-N supremo while appointing Siddiqui as the head of the manifesto committee directed that the manifesto should be in accordance with public issues and the requirements of the modern age. Sharif said the manifesto should propose important and fundamental reforms in the justice system so that the common man could get cheap, prompt and fair justice.

The PML-N huddle condemned Israeli barbarianism in Gaza, Palestine, where women, children and elderly people have mercilessly been killed since October 7.

The party also condemned the way the Western countries have preferred to look away from the war crimes being committed in Gaza. Subsequently, PML-N decided to hold a special general council meeting at Sharif City, Lahore, to express solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine.