“I’m happy to see that democracy in Pakistan has found its feet and there is a smooth transition,” says Makhdoom Amin Fahim. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was quick to claim credit for Nawaz Sharif’s election as prime minister on Wednesday, saying its government abolished the constitutional bar on running for the top office for a third time.
“The credit goes to PPP, which amended the constitutional restrictions on becoming prime minister for a third time,” said PPP’s prime ministerial candidate Makhdoom Amin Fahim as he felicitated Nawaz Sharif following his election. “I’m happy to see that democracy in Pakistan has found its feet and there is a smooth transition,” he added.
Fahim assured the new premier of his party’s support on issues of national interest, but at the same time warned that it would strongly oppose every wrong decision.
In his speech, the PPP leader claimed credit for constitutional amendments made during his party’s five-year rule and recalled that not a single politician was sent to jail under his party’s government.
Fahim then discussed the interference of the intelligence agencies in political affairs, mentioning the creation of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) in 1990 and the 10-party alliance in Sindh to defeat PPP in the 2013 elections.
He also reminded Premier Nawaz of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline and demanded the new administration implement the project. The PPP leader acknowledged that the power crisis was the biggest challenge facing the country and hoped that the new government would succeed in tackling it.
Other opposition parties
Nawaz’s second challenger Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) assured the new prime minister of his party’s support in resolving the multifaceted problems facing the country.
He said it was an historic day since the process of a peaceful democratic transition of power was completed. He added that PTI would support the new government’s good steps and oppose it whenever it took a wrong decision. “We will fully support the government strategy devised to stop drone attacks in the country.”
The PTI leader said that “differences apart, Nawaz was my leader and will remain my leader.”
He advised the new government to address the sense of deprivation among the smaller provinces. He said that PTI had accepted the results of elections despite reservations and demanded the government immediately hold local bodies elections.
On his part, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, recalling Nawaz’s past proposals, urged him to work together with other parties for a ‘soft revolution’ in the country.
Talking about former president Pervez Musharraf, he said, “An individual is nothing and all those who supported him should also be brought to justice. Otherwise, the government should move on”.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Dr Farooq Sattar, while congratulating Nawaz, complained about the killings of his party’s workers in Karachi and urged the government to end such incidents. He also urged the government to bring Balochistan into the fold of Pakistan.
Wishing Nawaz success, chief of his eponymous faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazlur Rehman reminded him of his invitation for a collective effort to restore peace.
“There are several parliamentary resolutions [passed by the previous assembly] but they were not implemented due to international pressure,” he said. “Bring Parliament and our politics out of international pressure.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 6th, 2013.
COMMENTS (13)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1713521455-0/Untitled-design-(9)1713521455-0-270x192.webp)
@Ali Shan Aslam:
Sir we will also bear this loss.
@Liaquat Hussain Yet another PTI supporter shown that they have no patience. Look at the words, "Differences apart" he said first. If the PTI does not need Javed Hashmi then they lose another seats in assambly
PPP does deserve the credit, had they not done such a poor job at governing, PML-N would not have been in the government
The PTI leader said that “differences apart, Nawaz was my leader and will remain my leader.
Mr. Hashmi during the days of election we went door to door asked over near and dear to vote you as PTI and Imran Khan have given you the respect for which you were not deserved [I established my opinion after your specch in National Assembly]. If Nawaz Sharif is so dear to you why you come to PTI in a condition when no one was willing to care you please go back to PMLN and poolish the shoes of your leader. No respect for such leaders who have double standards.
@Mubashir: A well placed comment, Sir. The PPP has brought near doom to this country in association with the mullahs. Five years of negligence, ignominy, and lack of knowledge how to get the job done. State craft is not about political revenge. State craft is how to effectively manage the country to the benefit of its citizens and certainly not political revenge and financial corruption. Salams
PPP should also take credit for target killing in karachi...more than 7000 people died in karachi due to target killings..before it rule there was no target killing in karachi
I credit it to Pervaiz Musharraf.
The PPP would have taken the credit after getting votes from the nation, but the nation has rejected PPP.
Now PPP is taking credit of such matters which PPP have done for its own sake, but unfortunately, PPP could not deliver and lost the election.
@Mubashir: Awesome! A great comment! Siddique Malik, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
@ Mubashir, You are right PPP's poor performance played a role but poor game plan nailed it. The horse, PPP trusted had never won a race before.
The term limit was put in place by a dictator. Is Mr. Fahim saying that the PPP government did the country a favor by removing a bar created by a dictator? Any party that has even an iota of claim of being democratic would undo everything a dictator does. Otherwise, one would question that party's democratic credentials. Why is the PPP pretending that it did the country a favor by doing what it absolutely should have done. Was it thinking of not undoing the dictator's doings? Stop talking foolishly, Mr. Fahim. Accept that the nation has rejected your party and picked the PML-N as its next ruling party. You deserve no credit for the nation having matured democratically. You and your party should also mature and start to act as a democratic party, instead of acting as a property of the Bhutto-Zardari families. Siddique Malik, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
I absolutely agree. If the PPP hadn't put up such a poor show and not left the country in such Ruins, it wouldn't have been possible for Nawaz to return to the PM house.