LAHORE: Speakers at a ceremony organised by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have called for ensuring free and fair general elections in the country and giving supremacy to the parliament, to move the country forward.
They were speaking at a ceremony organised by the PML-N at its Secretariat at Model Town on Saturday, to celebrate the birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s birthday and Christmas. A large number of party activists including its legislators, councillors and female workers besides members of Christian community participated. At the end of ceremony, a cake cutting ceremony was held.
Among others, opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz, party Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal, senior leader Khawaja Saad Rafique, PILDAT chief Ahmed Bill Mehbub, senior journalist Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami, eminent lawyer Salman Akram Raja, former AJK PM Raja Farooq Haider, Maulana Raghib Naeemi spoke on the occasion.
Addressing the function, PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz said that solution of all the problems confronted to the country and countrymen lies in holding free and fair general elections and all the stakeholders must play their role in this regard. He said the country could only move forward with the supremacy of parliament.
Slamming the PTI government’s economic policies, Hamza said that prices of everything were going up, hundreds and thousands of people have rendered jobless who are unable to pay their utility bills.
He deplored that the country that was an atomic power was getting deep into the economic morass. “The PTI had touted to make a New Pakistan, but it had even destroyed the old Pakistan,” he said.
Terming Imran-Niazi as fake PM, Hamza said that Imran-Niazi hoodwinked the people through tall claims and caused harm to the country’s economy due to faulty policies.
“He (Imran) is facing the wrath of God instead of any political game,” he said adding: “He (Imran) created manifold problems for the countrymen; the PML-N would not hold him accountable for putting the party’s leaders behind the bars but Imran would have to answer for telling lies with the nation and rendering the people lives miserable.”
He, however, said that he had no hatred for Imran-Niazi rather anguish against him for causing harm to the country and causing problems for the people.
He criticised Imran and his ministers for claiming that there is no inflation in the country. He said the PTI should be ashamed for blaming CPEC projects as corruption ridden.
Hamza also recounted the services of PML-N regime under Nawaz Sharif when there was 5.8 percent GDP growth. He said that Nawaz Sharif is his Quaid and he had learnt politics from Nawaz and Shehbaz.
“Nawaz Sharif believes in service to mankind and also made the country’s defence invincible by conducting nuclear explosions in response to the Indian explosions.
Credit of making the country atomic power goes to Zulifqar Ali Bhutto, Abdul Qadeer Khan and his team and Nawaz Sharif.”
Expressing concern over soaring inflation, he said, today is the day of making merriments but it is very unfortunate that this year, the Christians cannot afford to buy new clothes and gifts for their children. He deplored the country’s state of affairs and fiscal policies.
“Even the IMF is not accepting tall claims of the PTI government about growth today,” he said.
The PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said that it was the responsibility of the PML-N to steer the country out from the prevailing situation. He said that Pakistan Movement was not launched for personal interests; rather it was lunched for the creation of Pakistan.
“Pakistan would not progress with pictures, it would progress with discipline,” he said, adding: “There is a need to follow the principles set by the founding father.”
The PML-N senior leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said on the occasion that there would be no threat to democracy, if the country is run according to the Constitution and law. “All the stakeholders, including establishment, judiciary, media and politicians, are duty bound to protect democracy. We would have to give up revenge to protect the country,” he said, adding: “Whosoever is ruling the country would have to establish working relationship with political forces, otherwise the country would suffer.”
He added that the practice of making political opponents arrests would have to be stopped, otherwise, the country would not move forward.
Regarding his meeting with a federal minister (Asad Umer), the PML-N leader said that he told him that the Election Commission members should be appointed only on merit.
Saad Rafique maintained that there was no independent judicial system in the country.
“There should be contempt of court on Saqib Nisar,” he said, adding: “The country was weakened in enmity against Nawaz Sharif who was disqualified just for taking salary from his son.”
The PML-N leader maintained that Nawaz Sharif remained PM three-time but he was not allowed to complete any of his term. He disclosed that Nawaz Sharif showed political maturity and learnt from the past mistakes and did not agree to hold long march against the PPP government when Asif Zardari was president.
“Likewise, when the PML-N formed its government as a result of 2013 elections, it was in a position to form its government in KP along with Maulana Fazl ur Rehman, but Nawaz had taken principled stance and said the PTI should form its government in KP being the single largest party,” he said.
However, he regretted that groups were patronised who closed down Islamabad for acceptance of their demands. He admitted that there is no democracy in political parties and executive committees rendered useless.
He further said that elimination of political parties is against political culture. “There should be rebirth of PPP in Punjab but the way PPP acted in NA-133 would not be beneficial,” he said, adding: “We want to give respect to vote and strengthening of political parties.”
Raja Farooq Haider said the PML-N is united under Nawaz Sharif and striving for supremacy of parliament, free and fair general elections and independent media.
Ahmed Bilal Mehbub said on the occasion that 29 percent of the total voters constitute young people, between the age of 18 and 29 years old, and in the next general elections they are to be mobilised. He said political parties need to improve their performance within assemblies.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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