PML-N to foil conspiracy of delaying elections: Nawaz Sharif

Says South Punjab is a PML-N stronghold, will win many seats there in the upcoming elections.

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif has warned that his party would foil any attempt to delay the upcoming general elections, hinting towards a possible conspiracy being hatched to defer it.

“The conspiracies of delaying upcoming general election by one year are an illusion and if it exists in someone’s minds, they should quash such plans as PML-N will fight it,”  he said.

Nawaz was addressing a gathering of new party entrants from Multan, who have crossed over from the rival Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), on Thursday at Raiwind. He also accepted an invitation to address a public gathering in Makhdoom Rashid (NA Constituency 148).

Sharif said that the only solution to all prevailing problems of the country lied in fair, transparent and free elections, adding that it was for the betterment for the party and people of the county.

Nawaz defends not quitting assemblies

Commending PML-N’s efforts in playing a role in getting Fakhruddin G Ebrahim elected unanimously as Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Nawaz said.

He defended his party's decision not to quit the assembly since it paved the way for putting pressure on the PPP-led coalition government to appoint a unanimously elected CEC. He said that had the PML-N quit the assemblies, President Asif Ali Zardari would have appointed a CEC of his own choice.

Nawaz vowed that PML-N would also play its role in convincing the PPP-led coalition government to announce a care taker set up in the country, adding that a consensus over the care taker set up is vital in order to hold free, fair and transparent elections.

Government increasing suffering of people

Commenting on the government’s performance, the PML-N chief said that under the Zardari government, each passing day increased sufferings and miseries of the people of Pakistan including a worsening energy crisis, inflation, unemployment which was adversely affecting the economy and putting the national security at stake.

He said that PML-N’s manifesto committee has devised comprehensive policies about energy, trade and education and through its implementation, the party will bring out the country from the clutches of the current crisis.

South Punjab

Nawaz, while ruling out the impression that South Punjab has slipped from the hand of the party, said that South Punjab was a PML-N stronghold where the party has worked hard, particularly during the recent floods and hoped that the party would secure many seats there in the upcoming general elections.

He further announced that the party would celebrate the month of Ramazan as a month of determination, since independence day would fall in the month of Ramazan this year, adding that the PML-N would hold corner meetings at all district levels wherein Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam’s concepts about self esteem, progress and sovereignity would be highlighted.

Nawaz will address a final ceremony in this regard on August 5 in Lahore.