KARACHI: It is unfortunate and dangerous for Pakistan that people blame the establishment for every failure of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government and this may lead to irreparable damage, warns PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal.

Addressing a press conference at the residence of party’s Sindh president Shah Mohammad Shah on Tuesday, the former interior minister suggested it was time the institutions limited themselves to their professional duties.

“It is unfortunate that if you take a round of the city and ask a roadside vendor, he will blame the establishment for the failure of Imran Khan and his government,” he claimed when asked about the possibility of neutrality of “umpires” during the recent by-elections.

“When you mention umpires, it means the establishment. We need to understand the consequences of this attachment of the establishment with any party. It’s dangerous for Pakistan. The establishment is not and should not be attached with any party. We have seen severe consequences of this [in the past]. It’s time that our institutions distance themselves from politics and play their professional role.”

Ahsan says Nawaz made every effort for strengthening institutions

Mr Iqbal recalled how PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif had made every effort for strengthening institutions and ‘respect for vote’, which ultimately led to awareness among people as well as political parties about their actual mandate and responsibility. He dodged a question about the comments former president Asif Ali Zardari made in Lahore the other day accusing the PML-N of manoeuvring to redesign constituencies in Punjab for political gains.

“As a member of a political party I should not react to anything that goes against another opposition party,” he said. “I won’t comment on that and expect other opposition parties to also focus on Imran Khan and his government. I would miss every ball bowled by an opposition party and try to hit a six even on a bouncer thrown by Imran Khan.”

The PML-N leader also vowed to reorganise the party across Sindh and announced that they would contest the next elections in every district of the province. He also recalled the development projects carried out by the PML-N government when it was in power at the Centre.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2021