Amidst the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) adoption of an assertive narrative, with demands for the accountability of former generals and judges in the lead-up to the forthcoming general elections, senior PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah has come to the forefront, defending the party’s stance. He posed the question, “Should we not even take the names of those who pushed the country into crisis?”
Just last week, the former interior minister had attributed the prevailing political and economic crises in Pakistan to ex-army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid.
Addressing a PML-N consultative meeting in Gujranwala, Sanaullah remarked, “Pakistan was heading towards prosperity when it was pushed into crisis for the third time.” He referred to the Supreme Court’s disqualification of then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2017 in the Panama Papers case, marking the third time that Nawaz Sharif had been removed from office.
Nawaz Sharif himself had recently issued a strong statement, holding the two former generals responsible for his ouster as prime minister in 2017 and the ongoing economic challenges facing the nation. He also criticized former chief justices Saqib Nisar and Asif Saeed Khosa, alleging their involvement as tools of the former army chief and his spy chief.
However, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) veteran leader Khursheed Shah advised the PML-N against engaging in such confrontations in the lead-up to the upcoming general elections, scheduled for the last week of January next year.
Sanaullah reiterated that Nawaz Sharif, a three-time former prime minister currently in self-imposed exile in London for health reasons since November 2019, will return to Pakistan on October 21. He added that Nawaz would address the nation at Minar-e-Pakistan next month.
The former interior minister asserted that Pakistan could emerge from its crisis by following the path set by Nawaz Sharif. He reaffirmed their commitment to Pakistan’s service and stated, “We will resume the journey from the same point where it was stopped on July 28, 2017.”
Regarding a recent party leadership meeting in London, Sanaullah mentioned that PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz had assigned specific tasks to everyone in the presence of the party’s leader. Reports suggested that the party’s supreme leader had disregarded a request from the party’s President, Shehbaz Sharif, to avoid an aggressive narrative during the London meeting.
In addition, Sanaullah addressed developments concerning the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), stating that individuals involved in the May 9 incidents were being held accountable. He emphasized that there was no global law advocating forgiveness of crimes to enable individuals to contest elections, vowing not to permit such an occurrence.
Subsequently, during a joint press conference, PML-N leader Mohammed Zubair conveyed that Nawaz Sharif would receive an unprecedented welcome upon his return to Pakistan. Zubair added that the former premier would lead the party’s political campaign and asserted that the party had been subjected to political victimization.
