PMLN to resist bid for polls postponement: Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: While brushing aside speculations, former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) will oppose with full force attempts to postpone the February 8 general elections.

Shehbaz — the PMLN president — in an interview with the Geo News programme Jirga with Saleem Safi on Saturday, stressed the time to enter the election phase at all costs has arrived, adding that any delay in the polls would be disastrous for Pakistan and democracy.

He said all the parties have commenced election campaigns across the country. “Despite challenges, the nationwide polls should be conducted without any further delay.”

Recalling the performance of the past governments led by his elder brother, he said that Nawaz Sharif had made Pakistan a nuclear power. He also gave credit to the former coalition government led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) — a 13-party alliance formed to topple the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government — for saving the country from default. The ex-premier added that the former PDM government, under his premiership, was only fighting for Pakistan’s survival without any political agendas during its 16-month rule.

Elaborating on the party’s election strategy, the PMLN president said that Nawaz had personally interviewed candidates. The junior Sharif also detailed that Nawaz would be the party’s candidate for the premiership. He, however, refused to comment on the Punjab chief ministership. “I don’t know yet who would be the next Punjab CM. After winning the mandate, the decision will be taken after consultation with Nawaz.”

The senior politico, when questioned about his popular party’s narrative Vote Ko Izzat Do, replied the slogan was meant to end loadshedding in five years. Commenting on a plethora of cases against the former ruling party, PTI, and its leadership, Shehbaz said Imran would never have been in jail if the May 9 riots had not happened.

He termed the May 9 events a ‘betrayal’ and a “conspiracy’ hatched by the PTI founder against the armed forces. He urged all the stakeholders to maintain unity in the better interests of the country.