LAHORE - Pakistan Peoples Party is not in favour of early elections and instead wants the present government to complete its Constitutional tenure without Nawaz Sharif.

Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan Awami Tahreek are also not in favour of snap polls as they think that it may hamper the ongoing process of accountability. However, the PML-Q will go with the PTI in its demand for early elections.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf on Thursday came up with a new demand that not only the prime minister should go the government should also announce early elections to pull the country out of the current imbroglio.

A new entrant in the PTI, Babar Awan made this demand at a news conference in Islamabad yesterday. He was of the view that Prime Minister’s resignation was not enough. It must follow fresh elections, he said. 

But the main Opposition party in the Parliament, the PPP, thinks otherwise. Though it is very much in favour of Prime Minister’s resignation, it would still like the present government to complete its tenure. It has its own compulsions.

“PPP does not support PTI’s demand for snap polls”, PPP’s Secretary Information Ch Manzoor Ahmad told The Nation.

He said that his party wanted the government to complete its tenure with a new Prime Minister.

Manzoor also said that PPP does not see any conspiracy against the political system from any side.

“But we do see a threat to the system from the ruling PML-N side which seems determined to rock the boat at the cost of democracy. The system will remain in danger as long as Nawaz Sharif is Prime Minister”, he stressed.

PTI leadership, on the other hand, believes that early elections will suit the party at this time because the ruling PML-N is highly demoralised in the wake of Panama scandal. It also expects dissensions within the ruling party after Nawaz Sharif’s exit from the Prime Minister House. Its leaders are on the record saying that many sitting lawmakers from the PML-N are waiting in the wings to join the PTI once the Prime Minister resigns from his office.  

But the PPP is not prepared for such an eventuality since it is not yet done with the task of establishing its new party cadres in the four provinces. Its search for electables is also underway with more leaders leaving the party for greener pastures. 

PML-Q, however, has supported the PTI’s demand for fresh elections. Party’s central Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha said that his party would go with the PTI in latter’s demand from early elections.

He maintained that fresh elections were need of the hour because there would be no end to the current state of uncertainty and confusion in the country if the PML-N elects a new Prime Minister.

He said that his party had completed the necessary homework for snap polls.

Central Secretary Information Jamat-e-Islami, Ameerul Azeem said that his party’s main demand has been the accountability of all the politicians which is across the board.

“If the country goes to snap polls without completing the process of accountability it would an exercise in futility”, he said, adding, that early elections may hamper the ongoing process of accountability.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has also refused to support the PTI’s new demand for early elections. A PTI delegation which met PAT leaders here on Thursday at Model Town to seek its cooperation returned disappointed according to PAT sources.

Spokesperson for PAT Noorullah Siddiqui confirmed that his party was not in favour of early elections. “We want an across-the-board accountability followed by reforms in all the state institutions before elections could take place,” he said, adding that elections without the institutional reforms and accountability will not bring any real change in the country.

PML-F of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and ANP of Asfandyar Wali are supporting the ruling party in the difficult situation it is in because of the Panama case pending in the apex court.

No MQM leader was available for comment on PTI’s demand for fresh elections.

MUBASHIR HASSAN