Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif told a party meeting here on Tuesday that fair elections were not possible in the presence of President Asif Ali Zardari and the PML-N would challenge the voter lists of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the high court, as PML-N sources said the party was looking to capitalise on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s split with the ruling alliance by offering to form a grand opposition alliance with the former.
Online news agency quoted PML-N sources as saying that the party had decided to change its political policy regarding the MQM and had told all its leaders and parliamentarians to refrain from making statements against the MQM. The PML-N central leadership has apparently been told that this time the divorce between the MQM and the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) seemed to be final and chances were remote that it would be wooed back into the ruling alliance.
Meanwhile, Nawaz claimed the AJK elections were held with bogus lists and the government did it deliberately. He said even with such rigging, the PML-N won seats from AJK and praised the efforts of independent workers for PML-N’s victory. He said it was not possible that elections held in the presence of President Zardari would be free and fair. Nawaz also told the party’s provincial coordination committee (PCC) members to speed up the party reorganisation process.
The PCC meeting was held at the Raiwind residence of the Sharifs. The committee briefed Nawaz on its recommendations for the party’s reorganisation. According to the schedule, Nawaz will chair the PCC meeting of Punjab on June 30, of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on July 1, of Sindh on July 2 and Balochistan on July 3.