Presidential polls to also reflect allies overwhelming mandate: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that the result of presidential elections on March 9 would also be a reflection of the overwhelming mandate given to allied parties in the general elections.

“The nation has given us majority in the National Assembly and three provincial assemblies along with majority in the Senate, which will also be reflected in the presidential elections,” Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing a dinner he hosted at the Prime Minister House in honour of parliamentarians belonging to allied parties, said. The event was arranged as a part of campaign for Asif Ali Zardari as presidential candidate of six allies of the government. “We are in the majority but it does not mean that we should not ask for votes from respected parliamentarians,” he said.

Shehbaz Sharif, on the occasion, once again nominated Asif Zardari as the joint candidate of six parties for the president’s post and his nomination was supported by parliamentary leaders of other parties also. “Asif Ali Zardari is our joint candidate and we all will bring the country out of crisis,” he said.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, President of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Parliamentary Leader of BAP Senator Manzoor Kakar, Convener of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Farooq Sattar, Mustafa Kamal, Aun Chaudnry of Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP), Senator Ishaq Dar, Senator Azam Nazir Tarar among others participated in the event.

PM Shehbaz was confident that there would be excellent coordination and harmony when Asif Zardari would be sitting in the President House for progress of the country. He said that by the grace of Almighty Allah, once again a government of allies has been formed. “I thank the political leadership for once again choosing me with consensus as prime minister,” he said.

He said that people have given the mandate to different political parties which, he said, should be respected adding that it was up to them to what extent they were competent to come up to the expectations of their voters and serve them.

He said that they were thankful to Almighty Allah for the success but the challenges which the government would be facing were higher than the Himalayas. “I have also been continuously chairing meetings on economic issues for the last four days,” he said.

Talking about the challenges particularly in the economic sector, he said that energy circular debt is over Rs5 trillion and debt burden on PIA is over Rs825 billion. He called for expanding the tax net instead of putting more taxes on already existing taxpayers.

Shehbaz Sharif maintained if the allied parties jointly bring the country out of crisis, the nation would remember them forever. “But if we fail, neither history nor coming generations will forgive us,” he said. He said that time has gone when Pakistan’s friendly countries were ready for joint ventures but they would have to be convinced again. While talking on the occasion, Asif Ali Zardari admitted that the challenges before the nation would be difficult but was hopeful that Shehbaz Sharif would overcome these challenges.

Zardari assured that his party would stand behind Shehbaz Sharif with full strength. “We will fully support and wherever required, will also manage international support for him,” he said.

He said he feels that there is potential for progress in the agriculture sector saying that Pakistan could become a market for China whose agriculture imports are over $5 trillion every year, saying that there was a need to build dams and carry out canal lining. “Challenges are enormous but it is not impossible to overcome them,” he said adding that Pakistanis would emerge as proud nation.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on the occasion, said that his father on his election would be the first ever civilian President of Pakistan to be elected on the slot for the second term. He said that President Zardari under the 18th Amendment devolved his powers to parliament. “When he was elected first time, he was a powerful civilian president but devolved all his powers to parliament through the 18th Amendment,” he said.

Bilawal said that it was also a big achievement in the country’s democratic history that 58-2(b) was done away with and 18th Amendment in the Constitution was made. He expressed his thanks to the political parties who extended their support to Asif Zardari for president’s election. “I am confident that President Zardari will further strengthen the Federation,” he said. He was happy to note that the prime minister has announced that Charter of Reconciliation is the top priority along with the Charter of Democracy.

In a major development on Thursday night, the MQM-Pakistan announced its support for former president Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential election. “Today Bilawal Bhutto Zardari came and we have decided to support Asif Zardari in the presidential election,” said MQMP Convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui in a joint press conference with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari midnight Thursday. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, along with a delegation of PPP and PMLN, held a meeting with MQMP to seek its support.

With the announcement of MQM-Pakistan, it is now an easy sailing for former president Asif Ali Zardari in the presidential elections against his lone contestant Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a candidate of PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said, “We will support Asif Zardari in the presidential elections.” He further said that democratic forces should continue to hold dialogue despite their differences.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he was born in Karachi and knew the MQM. “We will solve the problems of Karachi together,” he said. He said the government that is going to be formed will focus on Karachi. “We will be the voice of Karachi at the federal, provincial and local level,” he asserted. PMLN senior leaders Khawaja Saad Rafiq said, “Ali Zardari is our joint presidential candidate and will be elected president the day after tomorrow with a historic vote, God willing.”

Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, along with the delegation of PPP and PMLN, held a meeting with the MQMP at the Parliament Lodges to seek support for Asif Ali Zardari.

The PPP and PMLN delegation comprised Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Sherry Rehman, Raja Parvez Ashraf, Khursheed Shah and Naveed Qamar, Azam Nazir Tarar and Saad Rafique.