ISLAMABAD: Taking a U-turn on its previous decision to boycott the Senate elections and tender resignations from the assemblies, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the largest opposition party, on Monday decided to contest the Senate elections.
According to well-placed sources, a meeting of the joint parliamentary party of PML-N was held at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Maryam Nawaz, in which major decisions were taken in the light of the important message sent by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif.
A large number of members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Senators, including former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Senator Raja Zafarul Haq, Rana Sanaullah, attended the parliamentary party meeting.
Addressing the meeting, the PML-N Vice President Maryam said that the party will continue to play a full role in the parliament, adding that the incumbent government is confused.
She conveyed the message of her father Nawaz Sharif to the party leaders, who expressed full solidarity with the Sharif family. She apprised the members of the Parliament (MPs) that the PML-N would participate fully in the Senate elections.
Maryam directed the MPs to continue playing their full role in the upper house and to give a tough time to the government on national and public issues.
The PML-N VP said that there would be no dialogue with the government now and any decision on resignation from the assemblies by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) would be one that is acceptable to all parties.
The PML-N VP aid that the party lawmakers will tender resignations from the assemblies and a long march would also be taken out.
She said the PDM will not bow to any pressure and it will wait for the right time to resign from assemblies. She also said that the government is begging the opposition for a dialogue but the PML-N would not talk to the government any further.
Later, while talking to media following the PML-N parliamentary party meeting, Maryam said that 2021 is the year of elections. She also termed 2021 as the year of the end of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. However, she refrained from announcing a date for resignations from assemblies or for taking out a long march.
She said that the country is suffering from problems due to the incompetent government, claiming that the people know that the ruling party is guilty of bringing the country to this point
“I am happy that today the PML-N lawmakers stand by Nawaz Sharif. Despite the repression and excesses, the members who attended the meeting stand with the statement of Nawaz Sharif,” she added.
Responding to a question about the government’s claims of differences in the PDM, Maryam said that thousands of aspirations had been materialised.
“The rulers have tried every method but they could not break the PML-N and the PDM. The forces who wanted to get us out of politics and the political arena will fail”.
Asked about Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s statement about no-confidence motion, Maryam said that the proposal of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would be debated upon in the upcoming meeting of the PDM.
Asked to answer the allegations of backchannel diplomacy of PPP, Maryam said that she could not comment over mere assumptions.
“Nawaz Sharif’s statement is a statement of national development. Nawaz Sharif has ordered to inform the people about the incompetence of the government,” she added.
He said that the new NAB ordinance was aimed at targeting the opposition but it would not be allowed to be implemented, she added.
“Now NAB ordinance would be for [the benefit of] the rulers. I will bring pictures of Shehbaz Sharif and Khwaja Asif during the next PML-N parliamentary party meeting,” she observed.
