Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif lambasted the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday after being re-elected president of the ruling PML-N in Islamabad, saying the PTI's leadership has spent all its time on containers and dancing instead of serving Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
"Today the people of KP are searching for their elected leader. They are searching for those who promised them a 'Naya Pakistan' but they are only found on containers," he said in a veiled reference to PTI chief Imran Khan.
"Had you focused on your province, people would be praising you, but the situation now is such that you need months of effort to organise a gathering and to get people to attend it."
"Citizens will patronise those who they believe will work for the development of Pakistan." he said.
"Forget about Pakistan, the PTI will have washed their hands of KP by 2018," he said, adding that the province would be ruled by the PML-N after the next general election.
"These people claim they will come onto the streets and 'jam' Islamabad. We are the party that makes roads and you are the party that wanders the streets. Look at the difference between the two parties that one has been given a chance to work for Pakistan's progress, while the other has been given the mandate to sing and dance on containers, to wander the streets and to hurl abuse."
The prime minister's comments appeared to be aimed at opposition party PTI and come at a time when Imran Khan has announced a lockdown of Islamabad on November 2nd in pursuance of his demand for the premier's 'resignation or accountability'.
"When I was elected prime minister, people asked me why I was so worried, they used to ask why I don't smile anymore. I forgot how to smile due to the weight of my responsibilities. I made a promise to the people, but how would it happen? The worry was eating away at me," the premier claimed.
"We didn't have money for a single power plant. We needed dollars. If we put up one plant, we wouldn't have enough money for another, and you need lots of power plants to end the power shortage. I would like to thank our friend China from the bottom of my heart," he said, for contributing to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
He announced that electricity will be available on comparatively cheaper rates after completion of these projects and appreciated the speed of the work being done on various power plants.
"Shahbaz will be happy to hear that the Chinese said they [power plants] are being set up with 'Punjab speed'," he said, referring to Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The premier reiterated that about Rs100 billion had been saved on various development schemes, adding that if another government had been in power, it would have taken commissions or kickbacks and avoided making savings.
Earlier today, during an intra-party election, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was reelected president of the PML-N.
Senior party leaders Raja Zafarul Haq was elected PML-N chairman. Both Nawaz Sharif and Raja Zafarul Haq were elected unopposed.
Sartaj Aziz, Sir Anjam Khan, Yakub Khan and Changez Marri were elected senior vice presidents of the party. Pervaiz Rashid was elected as secretary finance.
A five-member election committee headed by Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal received and scrutinised nomination papers.The stakes are high this time as the ruling PML-N goes for internal polls today (Tuesday) ahead of an impending showdown with its political nemesis – the PTI.
Exceptions apart, intra-party elections are generally a ceremonial exercise, staged to match the sweet will of political czars just to fulfill the requirements laid down by the ECP.
Although the PML-N’s scheduled intraparty polls do not appear to be something out of the ordinary, the timeline, however, matters a lot. PTI has rolled up its sleeves to take on the federal government in general, and PM Nawaz Sharif in particular, on November 2, promising to bring all activity in the federal capital to a grinding halt.
Insiders in the PML-N believe the gravity of the situation prompted the ruling party to hold intra-party elections.
“This is an activity better left for ‘lean days’,” commented a party bigwig involved in the intra-party elections. “Not to be done when you are in the eye of the storm,” the party stalwart, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
Intra-party elections in PML-N were last held in 2011. The process would later be applied to lower echelons in the next phase, but the schedule for this exercise has not yet been finalised.
The party insider maintained: “Who will grab the party chief’s slot, secretary-general and other posts at the national level is pretty much known to everyone. Who will be there to represent us at the grass-root level is crucial”
For many, winners at the top-level at the Centre and at provincial levels are obvious. The real ‘game’ will be making a power-play at lower levels, where candidates backed by powerful N-Leaguers would have to be accommodated.
“The share any lobby gets in the party polls depends on the magnitude of influence it wields within the party,” the party insider asserted.
There are indications that PM Nawaz, in his capacity as the PML-N president, has ‘specially’ tasked Amir Muqam, the premier’s adviser, to supervise the intra-party polls in K-P to pave the way for electing ‘strong’ workers capable of mobilising public support and sabotaging PTI’s plan to march on to Islamabad. Muqam, however, denied this assertion.
“Intraparty polls and statement of accounts are the preliminary electoral requirements for allotment of electoral symbols. This is why we have to carry out this exercise in letter and spirit.”
When Amir Muqam was reminded that intraparty polls were being held too close to PTI’s planned protest, the PM’s advisor said: “Anyone can make a mountain out of a molehill – the PTI and its protest prospects are not important enough to influence our political priorities. I think you are blowing this issue out of proportion.”
At least 2,200 members of the PML-N’s General Council members are scheduled to elect national office-bearers today (Tuesday, October 18).
Prominent among those vying to get their candidates elected in the polls include Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Hanif Abbasi, Raja Zafarul Haq, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Chaudhry Tanvir, Anjum Aqeel Khan, Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, Sabir Shah, Omar Ayub Khan, Asif Kirmani, Saad Rafique, Khawaja Asif, Rana Sanaullah, Raja Ishfaq Sarwar, Malik Ibrar, Raja Attiq Sarwar, Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal, Sartaj Aziz, Amir Muqam, Sardar Yousaf, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Shaikh Ansar, Ahsan Iqbal, Chaudhry Sher Ali, Abid Sher Ali and Shaikh Aftab.
PM chairs meeting
The PM chaired a political meeting to consult PML-N’s central leadership about the upcoming polls, a PM House statement said on Monday.
Senior PML-N leadership was apprised about arrangements and details of the party’s convention, the statement added.
