Nawaz says political rivalry should not turn into ‘enmity’

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that rivalry was a normal part of politics but differences should not be allowed to escalate into enmity.

Addressing a party meeting in Murree — attended also by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz said he had not expected the Pakistan Peoples Party to raise objections over the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, as the party was in power in the region.

The PML-N president said the political environment that had emerged during the AJK polls was a matter of concern for all, attributing the situation to the failure of previous governments to fulfil their responsibilities.

The AJK polls, held in three phases, brought the ruling coalition partners at the Centre into a face-off, with the PML-N winning a majority of seats while the PPP alleged rigging. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari even said that the federal government’s “countdown has begun.”

“This is the first time that this environment has been created in Azad Kashmir, which is a cause of concern for all of us,” Nawaz said. “This has happened because the previous governments did not fulfil their duty.”

He urged political opponents to maintain tolerance and keep differences within the bounds of democratic disagreement, stressing that hostility had no place in politics.

He said the PML-N had always treated its political opponents respectfully and reiterated that political differences should not turn into hostility.

‘People of AJK looking towards Punjab’

The PML-N has already secured a simple majority after completion of the two phases of the AJK polls, winning 24 seats, with final results of the third phase yet to be announced. The PPP has clinched 10 seats in the first two phases.

He said that the PML-N would form the government in AJK, vowing to fulfil the promises the party made before the elections.

Nawaz also praised the party leaders and workers over the victory in the polls and said that the PML-N has secured a majority in the first two phases, adding that the election process has not yet been completed.

The PML-N president also called for maximum funds to be provided to Azad Kashmir and said the welfare and development of its people should remain the government’s priority.

He said the people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir were looking towards Punjab, where he said the development had been initiated under Shehbaz Sharif and subsequently advanced by Maryam Nawaz.

“The way we transformed Punjab, we will transform Azad Kashmir as well,” Nawaz said, warning that failure to deliver on the public mandate would lead to disappointment among voters.

Praising PM Shehbaz and his team, Nawaz said that the prime minister is currently working to address the country’s challenges, adding that the situation was extremely difficult when he assumed office.

“Today, the situation is improving day by day, and efforts are being made to put Pakistan on its own feet,” he said.

He said the government is also working to free Pakistan from dependence on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and make the country economically self-reliant.