Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif elected as PML-N President unopposed after six years
LAHORE, May 28 (SABAH): Former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has been elected as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president unopposed on Tuesday after six years.
Addressing the general council meeting, Nawaz Sharif allowed the charged crowd to celebrate his return as party president. He said his elevation as party president ‘discarded’ the former chief justice Saqib Nisar’s decision of ousting him from the Prime Minister Office.
“Call those who decided that Nawaz Sharif is disqualified forever. Today, Nawaz is standing before you again. Why was the decision made and for what reason? That Nawaz didn’t take a salary from his son.”
Nawaz Sharif once again accused Imran Khan of relying on military support for his political ascent. “Imran Khan started his politics on the shoulders of the army. I personally approached him for collaboration, and he agreed, but then planned protests from London with a general, a cleric from Canada, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, and others. Protests began, and I was asked to resign. I said do whatever you want; Nawaz Sharif never resigns,” he remarked.
Nawaz Sharif quoted former ISI chief General (retd) Zaheerul Islam, “We tried different parties and allowed a third force, which we thought could deliver, and that force appeared in PTI. Imran Khan should clarify if he was not the third force, then who was?”
Challenging Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif declared, “If you were not the third force, I promise to retire from politics. Your politics and the ousting of our government were founded with their help. You derailed democracy on their behest. It was during the PTI’s protests in Islamabad where it was said Nawaz Sharif would be dragged out from the PM House with a rope around his neck. This was the umpire’s finger that Imran Khan frequently referred to.”
Nawaz Sharif urged Khan to answer these questions before he could be engaged in a dialogue with the government. “We are of May 28, not May 9. When Bill Clinton offered $5 billion to avoid nuclear tests, we refused and rejected the offer of $5 billion of that time.”
Nawaz Sharif congratulated his party members and brother for steadfastly holding on to the party banner through its tribulations. He alleged that many forces had tried to create discord in his relationship with his brother and PML-N supporters but Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif continued to stay loyal.
The PML-N president claimed that many years ago his brother was offered the prime minister’s seat on the condition of sidelining Nawaz but the younger Sharif rejected the offer.
Nawaz also lauded PML-N scions Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz for facing many trials, including prison sentences, with “bravery and strength” for the party and country’s sake.
The PML-N president praised his brother for his government’s performance, saying economic indicators were already improving. He urged him to work with commitment, saying there would be some one to two years of hardship but then would arrive prosperity.
The former prime minister said that Pakistan would have progressed if his governments had not been toppled repeatedly.
While speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz reposed his trust in the newly-elected president and said he has now returned the responsibility to Nawaz, which was entrusted to him years back.
“I believe that if we work day and night, under Nawaz Sharif’s guidance, Pakistan will come out of the crises and it will become the same Pakistan that Nawaz Sharif left in 2017,” the prime minister, who was the party’s president after Nawaz, said.
Shehbaz said people who despised the three-time prime minister had him removed from office under a made-up case, which was first Panama and then ‘aqama’.
“But today, under Nawaz’s leadership, we are working in Punjab and the federation […] day and night,” Shehbaz said, claiming that the 2018 elections were forcefully snatched from the PML-N president.
Calling on the judiciary, he said: “You are Pakistanis, you are judges; if development does not return to Pakistan, then there will be no judges, no politicians, and no one else.”
“Do you want this? I believe that most of these judges are Pakistanis and think about Pakistan’s development, but some ‘black sheeps’ [are helping PTI founder] Imran Khan,” the two-time prime minister said.
When Nawaz was under trial, Shehbaz said, he would not get bail in his cases. “But today, there are discussions about how he [Imran] can be sent out on bail and his cases dismissed.”
He slammed Imran and said all “of your conspiracies” will be foiled. Shehbaz also lamented that the PTI founder for “running campaigns” against the family members of army personnel.
The prime minister said his brother was disqualified in bogus and baseless cases, adding that even his opponents were forced to admit the injustice with the elder Sharif.
Shehbaz Sharif directly accused PTI founder Imran Khan of being behind the alleged rigging in the 2018 general elections, saying that “Nawaz’s winning election was turned into a defeat.” The prime minister excoriated the PTI founder for allegedly criticising the army.
Earlier, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah Khan detailed the party’s electoral procedure while addressing the general council meeting. He said Shehbaz had resigned from the role of PML-N president on May 11, citing the reason as a “conspiracy” against Nawaz in 2018 and “fake cases against him in violation of law and Constitution”.
He recalled that Shehbaz’s resignation was accepted during a central working committee meeting of the party on May 18, and he was requested to continue holding the position till the election.
Rana Sanaullah added that during the meeting, the PML-N’s election commission was appointed with him, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Ishrat Ashraf, Jamal Shah Kakar and Khel Das as the members.
PML-N Secretary General and Federal Minister Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhry congratulated the general council for a successful election. He said the party demanded that the conspirators who used Nawaz to target Pakistan should be brought to the courts
Ahsan Iqbal said these individuals should be answerable for pushing Pakistan to default and further isolating the country in the international community.
“They should be answerable so that some reparations are done for the harm done to the country,” he added.
The intra-party elections were held during the party’s general council meeting, which was held in Lahore. As many as 11 party members had received the nomination papers for the top slot.