Pakistan: PML-N apprehensive of early elections amid political chaos

Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) led ruling coalition now smells a rat amid political chaos in the country and is apprehensive of early elections.

Upset with some “disturbing signals” it is getting from relevant quarters, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif is currently reviewing the situation with the possibility of returning to the party’s tough stance vis-a-vis the policy of certain institutions, reported The News International.

It is also under consideration that Mian Nawaz Sharif should restart his public interaction, both with the media and the public. “We did not want the government and were eager to go for fresh elections in May this year but were told to continue in the best interest of the country,” a source said.

The PML-N-led ruling coalition took a tough and unpopular decision to save Pakistan from default. But now things are being pushed for fresh elections to the complete disadvantage of the ruling parties, particularly the PML-N, reported The News International.

This comes amid the Punjab CM fiasco, the top court declared Mazari’s ruling in the Punjab chief minister’s election “illegal” and ruled that PTI’s candidate Pervez Elahi will be the new CM of the province.

The order then declared Elahi as the duly elected chief minister of Punjab as it ruled that he had obtained 186 votes compared to Hamza’s 179.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed Pervez Elahi on Wednesday took oath as the Chief Minister of Punjab after the Supreme Court announced a verdict against the ruling of Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammed Mazari.

Background interaction with the PML-N sources says that the party leadership is upset with the reports of possible early elections, reported The News International.

“We won’t accept it without the return of Nawaz Sharif and in the absence of a level-playing field and clear rules of the game for all political parties,” the sources said and insisted that it’s the leadership including Nawaz Sharif that had been politically victimised and persecuted.

Before the next elections, the PML-N wants to see the court decide the appeals of Nawaz Sharif to give him and the party a fair opportunity to contest the elections.

Former PML-N MNA Talal Chaudhry on Saturday warned that the PML-N shouldn’t be pushed to early elections. He also demanded a level-playing field for all political parties before the elections are held, reported The News International.

On Monday, the ruling coalition unleashed a scathing attack on the Supreme Court of Pakistan and particularly targeted the chief justice of the Pakistan-led three-member SC bench.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, who led this attack, was in particular extremely critical of the three-member bench and even used the term “fixed bench” while referring to “fixed matches” which she insisted were targeting the ruling coalition and favouring the PTI, reported The News International.

She recalled how Nawaz Sharif was persecuted by the judiciary and cited what she believed were the double standards of the judiciary.

Maryam also said that the government, which was led by her uncle Shehbaz Sharif, was disabled and if she were in the government, she would have quit immediately, reported The News International. (ANI)