LAHORE: Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, a former chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has expressed criticism towards the leadership of his own party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), claiming that its policies have transformed it into a party aligned with the military establishment.
During an address to party workers, Abbasi called for the preservation of dignity and respect, while also requesting discipline and a low profile during the upcoming visit of PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz Sharif to Abbottabad.
Despite not having been consulted about Nawaz’s visit, Abbasi emphasised that she should not be disrespected in any manner.
Abbasi wields a considerable influence not only in Hazara, but throughout the province and the centre, having previously served as chief minister, governor, and federal minister.
He expressed confidence that Nawaz Sharif would soon return to the country to guide it towards development and emphasized the need for a warm welcome for Nawaz, in keeping with the hospitality culture of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Hazara.
He also criticized the ministers for failing to focus on the well-being of the country and its citizens.
He emphasized that the country was on the brink of an economic collapse and that political parties were engaging in a blame game rather than finding solutions. He called for sincere and dedicated workers to come forward and find an out-of-the-box solution, suggesting that elections could end the crisis.
Abbasi also spoke about the need for PML-N to change its provincial leadership in order to succeed and for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to investigate the use of loans in the country over the past 30 years.
He acknowledged the role of past rulers, politicians, the establishment, the judiciary, and the bureaucracy in the current crisis.
