General elections after LG polls: Ayaz Sadiq

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) has announced that the first local government (LG) elections will take place in April 2023 following which general elections will be held after August 2023.

This was announced by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and former Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq at a ceremony held in connection with Quaid-i-Azam’s birthday and Christmas here on Sunday.

Talking to the media, Sadiq said if Imran Khan had wanted to dissolve the assemblies, he should have done it forthwith instead of giving dates. “First he said he will fight his own battle and now he is looking towards the establishment to save him and bring him back to power,” Ayaz said adding Khan took massive loans during his tenure and that loans caused massive inflation in the country.

“Today is the birthday of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and without him there would have been no Pakistan,” Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said, paying rich tributes to the efforts of Quaid-i-Azam for changing Pakistan from a thought into a reality.

He said the white part of Pakistan’s flag reflected the minorities, including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis or any other religion and the state has promised to protect their rights. Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said today was also the birthday of Hazrat Isa (peace be upon him).

“Today is the birthday of Nawaz Sharif who carried forward the tradition of Quaid-i-Azam Muslim League and made Pakistan prosper and stronger by doing nuclear tests,” Sardar Ayaz Sadiq maintained.

The federal minister for economic affairs advised Elahi to distance himself from Imran Khan and contest the next general elections without him because at that time there would be no support available to him from any side.

He further said that Pervaiz Elahi and his son Moonis Elahi were already fed up with Imran Khan’s behaviour. “Imran was left by the MQM and other parties because of his self-centric political approach.”

Answering a question about the new wave of terrorism in the country, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that Imran Khan has seen the result of talking to the Taliban as terrorism had started again in the country. “Imran Khan did not stop terrorism but started negotiations with those who martyred our children,” he maintained.

Ayaz Sadiq said those who selected Imran Khan and brought him to power in 2018 were responsible for the damage done to the country. The trade deficit reached $45 billion, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said adding it seemed that Imran Khan came to destroy the country. They also took money from Indians and then targeted the chairman of the Election Commission, he said.

He said Pakistan’s electricity and gas became very expensive due to Imran khan’s policies.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that in 2018, General Bajwa supported Imran Khan while Jahangir Tareen gave MPAs and Aleem Khan gave everything but Imran Khan forgot everything and was talking openly against all the three persons and even cases were filed against Tareen’s wife and daughter.

“I have known Imran Khan’s character since 1960. A person who uses mothers and sisters to take revenge for power is a small person,” he said adding Maryam Nawaz faced cameras in jail.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said the election will be held in 2023. “First we will go to local government elections in April 2023 and then general elections will be held after August 15,” he announced.

Making a mockery of Sheikh Rashid, he said he never took Rashid seriously. He said the PTI claimed that their numbers were complete, then why Pervaiz Elahi did not take the vote of confidence on the Governor’s constitutional order.

Speaking on the occasion, PMLN leader Khawaja Salman Rafique said that when PKLI did not get funds, how the poor people would be treated. “Why are you in such a hurry to dissolve the assembly, you are in power, serve the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, in another ceremony, PMLN Vice President Rana Mashhood said Pakistan was established under the Two Nation theory. He said Quaid-i-Azam created Pakistan so that Muslims could live a free life and after his death those who took care of the country were also sidelined and conspiracies were hatched against politicians. He said elected representatives of the people should be allowed to make their own decisions and restoration of democracy was the demand of the people of Pakistan.

Rana Mashhood said the PMLN ended terrorism as well as loadshedding and Imran Khan brought back both. Nawaz Sharif strengthened the country’s economy and gave big projects to the country and investments from foreign countries started to come.

“In 2018, Imran Khan was brought to power by stealing the election. During his tenure, horse trading in the Senate was done openly but at that time it was right. Imran Khan himself said there is no better army chief than General Bajwa and now the same General Bajwa is responsible for everything done bad to the country during Imran Khan’s tenure,” he said.

Rana Mashhood held Imran Khan responsible for economic and other problems in the country because he was imposed on the people. Nawaz Sharif was fired for not taking salary from his son whereas Imran Khan’s Banigala house was made legal, he said.