The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday announced the formal launch of its electoral campaign for the upcoming general elections with the aim of contesting on all available seats, specifically in Punjab.
This was announced by Federal Interior Minister and PML-N provincial president Rana Sanaullah during a news conference in Lahore.
"Today, the PML-N is formally launching its electoral campaign," Sanaullah said, adding that an organizational meeting of the provincial chapter has been summoned for later today.
Dilating on PML-N's electoral plans, Sanaullah said that the party will contest all seats, particularly in Punjab. This includes the 141 national assembly seats and 297 provincial assembly seats.
"There will be a PML-N candidate in every constituency," he said.
The PML-N provincial president claimed that the party had roots down to the union council level.
"PML is the party which helped create Pakistan and has completed its journey from conceptulizing Pakistan to 'Istehkam'-e-Pakistan (stability)," he said, in a veiled swipe at the new party created by Jahangir Tareen.
Harking back to PML-N's greatest ever achievement, Sanaullah pointed to the 28 May, 1999, nuclear explosions conducted with Nawaz Sharif as prime minister. He said that with the explosions, Nawaz made the country's deam of becoming invincible a reality.
But today, he said that the enemy is stronger economically as well.
He added that the PML-N was the party which pulled the country out of every crisis. From the economic crisis in wake of sanctions imposed after conducting tests of nuclear weapons.
"If the October 12 misadventure (coup by General Pervez Musharraf) had not taken place, today Pakistan would have been a developed country," he said, adding that Pakistan was pushed into crisis by imposing a penalty on the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif.
Thereafter, he said, Pakistan saw a rise in terrorism and loadshedding increased to 20 hours a day. All of this was addressed within four years of Nawaz Sharif's return to power, he said.
"Whenever the country has been beset by crises, Nawaz Sharif has helped pull it out," Sanaullah said, adding that every time it was Nawaz Sharif who was punished -- though in reality, it was a punishment for the country.
After 2017, he said that an agent of chaos was installed that divided national politics and filled hate. The installation of this individual was a conspiracy akin to the 1999 coup, he said.
"Fake cases were created, and arrests were made in an era of revenge politics," he said, adding that the desire to exact revenge slammed the brakes on national progress and development, pushing the country to the brink of default.
But once again, a PML-N government, this time led by Shehbaz Sharif and under the tutelage of Nawaz Sharif, pulled the country back from the jaws of utter destruction.
"We promise that if we win the upcoming elections, we will put the country on the track of progress. We will control inflation, reduce issues facing the public and increase incomes," he said, adding that they will give youngsters a better future, promote a culture of tolerance and implement laws.
"In these elections, we promise that, like before, we will pull Pakistan out of its current crises," he vowed, pointing to the gains made against the crisis facing Pakistan in the year and a quarter that they had power.
"This time, we hope there will be no conspiracy against Nawaz Sharif and the country will continue on its path to development."
Responding to questions, Sanaullah said that they would not pursue politics of vengeance as practised by their opponents.
He defended the ongoing legal action against members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), noting that their persecution was not political victimization, rather, they were being tried as per the country's laws.
"Qasim's dad has done something, so Qasim should be worried or his dad," he said, adding suggestively, "The government's writ is not so weak, but I do not want to turn into Shahzad Akbar."
Asked about any possibility that PTI Chairman Imran Khan would be arrested, Sanaullah said that the relevant authorities are conducting their investigations.
He added that some miscreants have been arrested and that the mastermind behind May 9 will also be brought to trial.
On seat adjustment, he said that the party will not compromise on its winning candidates, though there is room for some seat adjustments.
"In the 2018 elections, our candidates were forced to return their party tickets, but did we not still contest elections? Did we not prove ourselves to be a political party?" he said.
He added that saving the country from fiscal default was a massive credit.
"The public will decide in the upcoming elections who they believe has done the most for the country," he said.
Asked about who would be the PML-N's candidates for prime minister and chief minister, Sanaullah said that the respective parliamentary parties would decide that in consultation with party supremo Nawaz Sharif.
On the possibility of political dialogue, Sanaullah said that such dialogues have been continuing year-round and even before that.
However, he added that all political parties, save one, have participated in dialogue.
https://twitter.com/TFT_/status/1679824460516573184
This was announced by Federal Interior Minister and PML-N provincial president Rana Sanaullah during a news conference in Lahore.
"Today, the PML-N is formally launching its electoral campaign," Sanaullah said, adding that an organizational meeting of the provincial chapter has been summoned for later today.
Dilating on PML-N's electoral plans, Sanaullah said that the party will contest all seats, particularly in Punjab. This includes the 141 national assembly seats and 297 provincial assembly seats.
"There will be a PML-N candidate in every constituency," he said.
The PML-N provincial president claimed that the party had roots down to the union council level.
"PML is the party which helped create Pakistan and has completed its journey from conceptulizing Pakistan to 'Istehkam'-e-Pakistan (stability)," he said, in a veiled swipe at the new party created by Jahangir Tareen.
Harking back to PML-N's greatest ever achievement, Sanaullah pointed to the 28 May, 1999, nuclear explosions conducted with Nawaz Sharif as prime minister. He said that with the explosions, Nawaz made the country's deam of becoming invincible a reality.
But today, he said that the enemy is stronger economically as well.
He added that the PML-N was the party which pulled the country out of every crisis. From the economic crisis in wake of sanctions imposed after conducting tests of nuclear weapons.
"If the October 12 misadventure (coup by General Pervez Musharraf) had not taken place, today Pakistan would have been a developed country," he said, adding that Pakistan was pushed into crisis by imposing a penalty on the PML-N and Nawaz Sharif.
Thereafter, he said, Pakistan saw a rise in terrorism and loadshedding increased to 20 hours a day. All of this was addressed within four years of Nawaz Sharif's return to power, he said.
"Whenever the country has been beset by crises, Nawaz Sharif has helped pull it out," Sanaullah said, adding that every time it was Nawaz Sharif who was punished -- though in reality, it was a punishment for the country.
After 2017, he said that an agent of chaos was installed that divided national politics and filled hate. The installation of this individual was a conspiracy akin to the 1999 coup, he said.
"Fake cases were created, and arrests were made in an era of revenge politics," he said, adding that the desire to exact revenge slammed the brakes on national progress and development, pushing the country to the brink of default.
But once again, a PML-N government, this time led by Shehbaz Sharif and under the tutelage of Nawaz Sharif, pulled the country back from the jaws of utter destruction.
"We promise that if we win the upcoming elections, we will put the country on the track of progress. We will control inflation, reduce issues facing the public and increase incomes," he said, adding that they will give youngsters a better future, promote a culture of tolerance and implement laws.
"In these elections, we promise that, like before, we will pull Pakistan out of its current crises," he vowed, pointing to the gains made against the crisis facing Pakistan in the year and a quarter that they had power.
"This time, we hope there will be no conspiracy against Nawaz Sharif and the country will continue on its path to development."
Responding to questions, Sanaullah said that they would not pursue politics of vengeance as practised by their opponents.
He defended the ongoing legal action against members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), noting that their persecution was not political victimization, rather, they were being tried as per the country's laws.
"Qasim's dad has done something, so Qasim should be worried or his dad," he said, adding suggestively, "The government's writ is not so weak, but I do not want to turn into Shahzad Akbar."
Asked about any possibility that PTI Chairman Imran Khan would be arrested, Sanaullah said that the relevant authorities are conducting their investigations.
He added that some miscreants have been arrested and that the mastermind behind May 9 will also be brought to trial.
On seat adjustment, he said that the party will not compromise on its winning candidates, though there is room for some seat adjustments.
"In the 2018 elections, our candidates were forced to return their party tickets, but did we not still contest elections? Did we not prove ourselves to be a political party?" he said.
He added that saving the country from fiscal default was a massive credit.
"The public will decide in the upcoming elections who they believe has done the most for the country," he said.
Asked about who would be the PML-N's candidates for prime minister and chief minister, Sanaullah said that the respective parliamentary parties would decide that in consultation with party supremo Nawaz Sharif.
On the possibility of political dialogue, Sanaullah said that such dialogues have been continuing year-round and even before that.
However, he added that all political parties, save one, have participated in dialogue.
https://twitter.com/TFT_/status/1679824460516573184