‘PMLN not fond of wearing a crown of thorns’: Saad asks PTI to form govt at Centre with PPP help

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz central leader Khawaja Saad Rafique said on Friday that forming the federal government was not the sole responsibility of the PMLN, but all parties reaching the parliament after the elections.

Therefore, “the PTI-backed independent members-elect should take the lead, and form the government in Centre. We would extend them felicitations”, he said in a post on his ‘X’ account late Friday night. He said no political party had clear-cut majority in the current National Assembly, and the “PMLN is not very fond of wearing a ‘crown of thorns’.

Earlier, there was a confusion after the PMLN and the PTI both announced that they were not interested in forming the government in Centre. “We should not make the federal government,” Geo News quoted the party leaders telling the PMLN meeting, chaired by Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on Friday. They said Nawaz Sharif suggested that unprincipled demand of any party should not be accepted to form the federal government.

Sources said Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Ishaq Dar, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Saad Rafique participated in the meeting, besides Azam Nazir Tarar, Ayaz Sadiq, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer, Suleman Shehbaz and Malik Ahmad Khan.

The meeting participants suggested to Nawaz Sharif “we should not take the federal government. In Punjab, a government can easily be formed together with the independents.”

According to sources, Ishaq Dar said with the help of independents, the number of the PMLN in Punjab had increased to 154, and the provincial government could be formed easily.

The meeting participants said “we should focus only on Punjab”. Sources said some participants were of the opinion that the only purpose of taking the federal government was that the country was facing serious economic crisis, and the state needs to be saved.

Separately, Ahsan Iqbal said on Friday night that the party would form the government in Centre and make the country stable. Talking to ‘Jang’, he said Nawaz Sharif made it clear “we will not form the federal government by compromising on our principles. We will stick to our principles and ensure development of the country.”

Ahsan Iqbal said that in the meeting, chaired by Nawaz Sharif, it had been agreed that the PMLN would form the government in Centre, while the party had already acquired the numbers to form the government Punjab.

Meanwhile, the PTI Friday announced it would form the opposition in the Centre and Punjab as per party founder Imran Khan’s directions.

PTI leader Barrister Saif, while speaking to the media after a meeting with Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) in Islamabad, said the PTI had decided to sit on the opposition benches in the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly.

“Many politicians face allegations that they have power lust, but we have decided to sit in the opposition in Centre and Punjab. Despite the fact that if we had got the seats according to the votes we received, we would have been forming the government in the Centre,” he said.

Saif said that Forms-45 were the evidence that the PTI-backed candidates had won, but the results were changed in the Forms-47. He said that party was making contacts with political parties on Khan’s orders, and that was why a delegation, led by Asad Qaiser, visited the QWP secretariat.

Saif said the 2024 polls were “rigged”, which created political unrest in the country and resulted in wide scale complaints from the political parties and those “who had the right” and who had received got the votes of people.

“Peoples votes were tampered with,” he asserted. Saif said that some people would be cheering that they had got majority to form the government, but this celebration would be short-lived. “If we see this in the long term, this is a huge problem for the nation, the country and the parliamentary democracy in Pakistan, because the coming generations have to bear the brunt of such incidents,” the lawyer-turned politician said while referring to the alleged rigging in polls.

He said that PTI wants “harmony and an environment of reconciliation” in the country.

Sharing the details about the meeting with QWP, Saif said that the PTI requested the party leaders to join it on the agenda to protest the alleged polls rigging.

At this, QWP leader Sikandar Sherpao told the PTI that they would announce their course of action after sharing PTI’s proposal with the party’s committee.

Separately, PTI’s returned NA candidate from Swabi and ex-speaker NA Asad Qaiser clarified that his party was not in favour of any external interference in Pakistan’s internal affairs.

In a message on his ‘X’ account, he said it should be noted that there were reports through the media that Imran Khan demanded the US raise its voice stronger against the elections rigging in Pakistan.

After meeting the PTI founder Imran Khan in Adiala Jail, Asad said his and Barrister Saif’s conversation with the media was presented out of context by the media, due to which a wrong impression was being taken. He said he wanted to say in very clear terms that his party had objections to the election results and wanted justice from the Election Commission and the courts.

He said his party was not in favour of statements made by foreign elements on Pakistan’s internal affairs, including elections. Asad Qaiser clarified the PTI was only seeking justice from its Election Commission and its judicial system.

Meanwhile, a meeting of coordination committee of the PMLN and the PPP was postponed till Saturday (today). Sources said the meeting was meant to finalise formation of the government but it was called off on Friday. Sources said the meeting would again be held on Saturday for the final round of talks to form a coalition government.

Meanwhile, the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and PTI leaders agreed in principle on Friday to cooperate in continuing movement against alleged rigging in general election.

A delegation of PTI comprising ex-speaker Asad Qaiser, Senator Saif, Shaukat Yousafzai, Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Bashir Khan and others met the JI leadership in Islamabad on Friday.

The JI delegation comprised of central naib ameers Liaquat Baloch and Mian Muhammad Aslam and Jamaat’s ameer of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inyatullah Khan during the meeting. “What we discussed today will be presented at the JI Central Shura tomorrow [Saturday] for approval of future action plan,” Liaquat Baloch told the media. He said it was agreed during the meeting that the two parties would remain in contact with each on the vital national issue.

PTI leader Asad Qaiser said there was one-point agenda during the meeting that massive rigging was committed during February 8 elections. “We sought Jamaat’s cooperation and the JI leader said they will bring the issue at Shura meeting,” he added. He said the JI and the JUIF had already started protest demonstrations while the PTI had given protest call for Saturday (today).