KARACHI - Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has rejected the decision of Peshawar High Court (PHC) regarding the restoration of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s election symbol, calling it an attack on Election Commission’s authority and pre-poll rigging that reeks of partisanship.
“The Election Commission of Pakistan had given a fact-based decision over the irregularities and rigging in the PTI intra-party elections. The PHC decision is an attack on the jurisdiction and authority of the ECP. PTI is being handed an advantage through this pre-poll rigging, just the way RTS had snatched away the mandate of the political parties, including PMLN mandate in Punjab overnight, in the 2018 elections,” said PML-N President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif while addressing a press conference here on Thursday,
He questioned how a provincial court can overrule a national-level body such as the ECP. He said that it should be taken into consideration that certain candidates contesting elections were related to the judge who gave this decision. He also said that it would have been best for the judge to excuse himself from this case considering the eminent conflict of interest. Shehbaz saw this as an extremely sensitive matter that raised many questions. He said that PMLN was absolutely ready for the February 8th elections, but it would not accept any such prepoll rigging.
He said that PML-N was robbed off its rightful mandate through the most blatant rigging that imposed PTI onto the people. Pakistan should learn from such mistakes and the people of Pakistan expect justice from the judiciary. Such decisions that reek of partisanship and tilt the scale in favour of a blue-eyed person of certain individuals of the judiciary. These individuals were part of the same flock that uttered those despicable words of ‘good to see you and best of luck’ to a person who triggered mutiny against the country and its military which sacrifices its precious lives defending the physical and ideological borders of Pakistan.
The former Prime Minister said this blue-eyed boy wrecked Pakistan’s economy, foreign-relations, institutions, and drove the country to the brink of bankruptcy. But, he said, the PDM government saved the country from the horrible nightmare of bankruptcy that would have led to absolute chaos for every Pakistani. PML-N compromised its political interest to save the national interest at that crucial time, Shehbaz said this adding a collective forward-looking approach towards the elections was needed to rescue Pakistan, rather than hindering the process of transparent elections by such partisan decisions.
Commenting on the PHC decision, PML-N Senior Vice President and Chief Organizer Maryam Nawaz said the decision of the Peshawar High Court’s Single Bench is an attack on the constitutional powers of the Election Commission. The unlawful decision of the judge is a fresh reminder of the ‘Ladla’ of PTI, she remarked.
“It is rumoured that the PTI’s henchmen have given relief to the PTI. The decision has legitimized fake and fraudulent intra- party elections. This decision is a victory of selection over elections. There were no voters, no voter lists, no election commissioner, no permission to fight elections, yet everything is deemed lawful,” she questioned.
Maryam exposed the double standards of PTI saying, “Those complaining about the absence of a level playing field in elections don’t even believe in granting a level playing field to their own party leaders in their intra-party elections. The history of attempting to sabotage the elections, like the RTS in 2018, has been revisited. The one who stole the nation’s mandate has also stolen his party’s mandate”.
Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the large influx of notable political leaders from Sindh into PML-N. He said that it was a day of great joy knowing that PML-N was on its way to becoming a strong and powerful political party in Sindh once again. He said he was certain that these new inclusions would enhance the party with their expert contributions. These politicians joined the PML-N because they trust the leadership of PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif, he remarked. He said that PML-N will always stand by them shoulder to shoulder, and it believes that they would do too, to serve the people of Pakistan in the best way they possibly could.
Later, addressing a gathering of PML-N workers in Karachi, the PML-N President lashed out against PTI’s hollow promises, saying, “Where are those 300 billion dollars that people had looted and were to be brought back, where are those 5 million homes and 10 million jobs?” He slammed the disastrous foreign policy and treatment of Pakistan’s friendly countries by the PTI government.