Abbasi says fresh polls not a solution to current political turmoil

Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who now leads the newly formed political party Awam Pakistan, expressed doubts about the efficacy of holding fresh elections to address the nation's challenges. 

Speaking to reporters outside an accountability court on Monday, Abbasi urged the Army Chief, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP), and political leaders to collaborate on finding a solution to the country’s ongoing issues.

"Even new elections won't resolve the problems the country is facing. The Army Chief, CJP, and politicians need to sit together and chart a course for governing the country," Abbasi remarked. The statement came amid ongoing demands from the opposition parties who have repeatedly called for early elections. 

Meanwhile, parties such as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have accused the government of election rigging and interference following the February 8 polls.

Abbasi's remarks also followed the National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) decision to withdraw a corruption reference against him. 

Reflecting on the case, which involved allegations of illegal appointments in Pakistan State Oil, Abbasi criticised the anti-graft body, stating that only one witness had testified against him in four years. He argued that the reference was politically motivated rather than rooted in genuine corruption charges.

"The sooner NAB is abolished, the better it will be for the country," Abbasi stated, adding that political engineering was behind such cases. He celebrated the court’s decision to clear him of the charges, along with others, in the LNG terminal case earlier this year.

Abbasi and his co-accused had faced allegations of illegal appointments, misuse of authority, and financial losses to the national exchequer. However, they were acquitted by an accountability court in Karachi in April.