Election to be held as per schedule in 2018: Nawaz

• PM says he is working, to continue his work, not waiting for any ‘decision’

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday chaired a consultative meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, a day ahead of the Supreme Court announcing its verdict in the Panama Papers case.

A private TV channel reported that the prime minister told his party’s leaders that he was not waiting for any decision and was elected by people to work. “I am working and will continue to work. Whatever decision is taken by the court, would be better,” the channel quoted him as saying.

The prime minister told those attending the meeting that the general elections in Pakistan would be held as per schedule in 2018. He was also critical of the performance of the Pakistan People’s Party in Sindh, stating that the party in the last eight years had not done anything in the province.

On the occasion, Minister for Interior Affairs Chaurdhy Nisar Ali Khan said that former president Asif Ali Zardari and his ‘gang’ had kept the people of Sindh in a stranglehold. The Online news agency reported that the government has completed discussion over the upcoming Supreme Court verdict during a consultative meeting.

The meeting, chaired by the prime minister, was attended by close aides as well as legal professionals. In the meeting, it was decided that the government would implement the verdict in letter and spirit. A constitutional way would be adopted in case of court orders to remove present head of the NAB.

The option of appointment of new prime minister has not been taken into consideration in the meeting. All those found involved in Panama case will be investigated in the light of the court decision. Earlier, Prime Minister Nawaz chaired a meeting of the party’s Sindh chapter here. He said that it was PML-N’s right to carry out political activities in Sindh and those, who had failed to deliver in the province, should be ready to face the music.

He said that the PML-N’s political opponents were also free to carry out their political activities in any part of Punjab. He advised the PML-N workers to carry forward the message of development, prosperity and enlightened Pakistan in every part of the Sindh province. “People are witnessing our performance and the actions of others are also before them. The PML-N always got votes on the basis of performance and will also excel in future,” he said.

The prime minister asked the party workers to keep in constant contact with the people. The PML-N was winning public support and praise in Sindh and it would bring about positive results if the workers continued working hard. He also directed Babu Sarfaraz Jatoi, president of the PML-N Sindh chapter, to work out a plan of public coordination for early launch of political activities and public coordination in the province.

Prime Minister Nawaz deplored the dilapidated condition of Sindh cities and reiterated his resolve to provide modern civic, health and educational facilities in Sindh for uplift of the people’s living standard. The meeting was attended by Raja Zafarul Haq, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair, Jam Mashooq Ali, Miftah Ismail, Syed Asif Kirmani and Maryam Nawaz.

Among others in the meeting also included Benazir Income Support Programme Chairperson Marvi Memon, Babu Sarfaraz Khan Jatoi, Shah Muhammad Shah, Senators Nihal Hashmi, Pervaiz Rasheed, Mushahidulla Khan, Nuzhat Sadiq, Najma Hameed, Salim Zia and Muhammad Safdar.

The party meeting was also attended by Dr Darshan Lal, Syed Ayaz Ali Shah Sherazi, Jafar Iqbal, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Siddiqul Farooq, Dr Sham Sindhar, Khel Das Kohistani, Zain Ansari, Khaleequz Zaman, Aslam Abro, Begum Soorat Theyo and Chaudhry Tariq.