Shahid Khaqan Abbasi set to launch new party

Former PM says new party to actively take part in next general elections

ISLAMABAD:

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former prime minister and prominent figure in the PML-N, has approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to register a new political party.

Abbasi visited the ECP office in Islamabad on Monday, where he submitted an application for the registration of the new political entity. Alongside the application, he provided all necessary documents required for the registration process.

"We are initiating the party's registration in accordance with the Election Act of 2017. We intend to actively participate in the upcoming elections under the banner of this new party," he stated. He also mentioned that the party's name has yet to be finalized.

Abbasi had previously hinted at the formation of a new party due to his differences with the top leadership of the PML-N. He had also suggested the emergence of a new political entity following the nationwide polls held on February 8.

Last December, the former prime minister announced his decision not to contest in the upcoming general elections.

In August, he criticized his own government for undermining public trust in the system, labeling the National Assembly of that period as the worst in the country's history.

Once considered a close ally of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Abbasi distanced himself from the PML-N after the party leadership appointed Nawaz's daughter, Maryam Nawaz, as the PML-N's chief organizer and senior vice president earlier in 2023.

Subsequently, the seasoned politician, along with another PML-N leader Miftah Ismail and former PPP senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, advocated for a change in Pakistan's political landscape through a series of seminars titled "Reimagining Pakistan."