PML-N decides to contest upcoming Senate elections

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), one of the main opposition parties in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), has decided to contest the upcoming Senate elections, Geo News reported.

The development came during a joint parliamentary meeting of MNAs and senators chaired by party vice president Maryam Nawaz, here on Monday. Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Ahsan Iqbal and Rana Sanaullah, among others, attended the meeting. While pictures representing Shahbaz Sharif and Khawaja Asif were placed on chairs in a bid to show solidarity with the imprisoned party leaders.

Sources told Geo that Maryam informed the party’s parliamentary group of the decision to contest the Senate elections. Majority of the party leaders supported the move. She told media after the meeting that the opposition alliance was resolute in its stance despite the government “pleading” for cooperation, but rulers “will not be given an NRO”. “You will be shocked to know the details of the talks between the opposition and PTI government,” she remarked.

When asked about PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s suggestion to initiate a no-confidence move against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Maryam said the matter would be discussed at PDM forum.

About the PDM’s anti-government campaign, she said the 11-party alliance would submit resignations and launch a long march “when the time is right”.She said the incumbent government should worry about its own ministers instead of the opposition.

Maryam then criticised the PTI government for its performance, stressing that the opposition did not have to inform people of the government’s failures as they were there for everyone to see. “Every day the masses are hit by an inflation storm.”

She added the country had not witnessed as many failures in the 73 years since it came into existence as it did in the last two-and-a-half years of the Imran Khan-led government.