News Analysis |
Pakistan is all set to hold the general elections on July 25, 2018. Political parties are persistently working on their respective strategies to gather voters across the country. Corner meetings, large public gatherings and jalsa’s are being held in almost every big city of Pakistan. Apart from mainstream political parties like Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), there are new political and religious parties taking part in the electoral politics. The political discourse in Pakistan is dynamic and interesting.
The former ruling party, PML-N, is under huge pressure because of strong opposition parties and the courts where corruption cases are being heard against the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family. In a state of political uncertainty and legal unpredictability, the former ruling party has presented its manifesto for the elections 2018. The manifesto was presented by the President of the party Mr. Shehbaz Sharif in a ceremony in Lahore. Senior leaders of PML-N also attended the event.
Ironically, the rainwater has once again exposed farce behind the development in Lahore. Development without solid foundations and long term plans has proved counterproductive. Sinkholes in Lahore became a threat for the citizens and passengers.
At the very outset, the former state minister Mariyum Aurangzeb read out the message of the supreme leader of the party Mr. Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz is in London these days to see his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz. The PML-N leader regretted that there were a number of ‘political conspiracies’ against his government since day one. And, “ultimately the court disqualified me to punish me for my democratic and legitimate stance,” he said in his message.
It is incumbent upon the PML-N “to ensure the progress of democracy, political harmony, protection of rights of minorities, respect for women and supremacy of the Constitution in Pakistan”, he added.
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PML-N’s Manifesto
The party president Shahbaz Sharif addressed the ceremony and threw light on the manifesto. He confidently claimed that the PML-N had introduced 11,000MW electricity to the national grid in its recently-concluded five-year tenure.
the former ruling party has presented its manifesto for the elections 2018. The manifesto was presented by the President of the party Mr. Shehbaz Sharif in a ceremony in Lahore. Senior leaders of PML-N also attended the event.
In its manifesto, headlined with the slogan “Vote ko izzat do — khidmat ko vote do” [Honour the vote — vote for performance], the party has focused on dealing with the water crisis, youth empowerment, low-cost housing schemes, construction of dams and bettering relations between and among state institutions.
The party has also assured to create 100,000-200,000 jobs for the youth across the country. The PML-N leader also promised to improve Pakistan’s ranking to the top 50 on tourism and competitive index.
Shahbaz Sharif further said that the public should analyze which party has fulfilled its promises. It is only PML-N which has fulfilled all the promises it made during the elections of 2013, Shahbaz Sharif said.
Read more: Lahore rainfall smashes records leaving sinkholes behind
Sharifs’ Promises
Contrary to what Mr. Shehbaz Sharif was claiming the PML-N led government borrowed record loans of over $31 billion during their five-year tenure surging Pakistan’s external debt and liabilities to a record-shattering figure of $91.8 billion at the end of March 2018. The previous government’s tenure saw an increase of 50 percent or $31 billion in terms of borrowing in the past 5 years.
Moreover, out of the total $91.8 billion the government’s public debt, including the foreign exchange liabilities, reached $76 billion. In 2013, before the current government took over, public debt stood at $53.4 billion.
It is incumbent upon the PML-N “to ensure the progress of democracy, political harmony, protection of rights of minorities, respect for women and supremacy of the Constitution in Pakistan”, he added.
According to some media reports “in the financial year 2017, Pakistan’s imports grew by 21 percent from 2013, whereas, exports in the same period went down by 12 percent. This resulted in a widening of the trade deficit to nearly 10 percent of GDP, having almost doubled in five years. The mismatch between exports and imports has grown to the level that the trade deficit has exceeded annual exports”.
Read more: PML-N’s ‘volatile’ amnesty scheme is here to stay for another month
Interestingly, load-shedding has always been a common phenomenon during the rule of PML-N (2013-18). Despite all claims and promises, the party even failed to provide uninterrupted electricity in the holy month of Ramadan.
Ironically, the rainwater has once again exposed farce behind the development in Lahore. Development without solid foundations and long-term plans has proved counterproductive. Sinkholes in Lahore became a threat for the citizens and passengers. The PML-N failed to deliver what it promised in 2013. Now there are bleak chances of the party’s success in urban areas. The public will have a right to give its verdict on July 25.