Shahbaz says there is democracy in PML-N ranks

LAHORE: PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif has said their party is the only political party that conducted parliamentary board's meetings for 86 hours from June 4 to June 11 during which candidates were provided full opportunity to prove their public service, political struggle and eligibility. He said each candidate was interviewed during the meetings to make the process of awarding tickets in a transparent and democratic way. "On the one hand, the people of Pakistan can see our performance, but, on the other, one party awarded a ticket to a candidate who had passed away a year ago and the other party awarded a ticket to a woman PML-N ticket holder. The PML-N president said the parliamentary board held hundreds of interviews of aspirants who submitted their applications for tickets. "All are equal in our party. The parliamentary board did not prefer anyone and I too appeared before it to be interviewed as an aspirant for the ticket", said Shahbaz. The PML-N president said similarly former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbas, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shahbaz and other senior leadership also appeared before the parliamentary board for interviews. Shahbaz said the PML-N has made democracy in Pakistan stronger by making the process of awarding tickets democratic and transparent. He said the transparency of the parliamentary board was even very much clear before media persons who were invited to different meetings of the board being observers to have a look at the whole process, he said.