KARACHI, Sept 6: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) announced on Friday its list of candidates for 15 National Assembly seats and 31 Sindh Provincial Assembly seats from Karachi district.

However, their candidatures are subject to seat adjustment with the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) for which negotiations are in progress. Seat adjustments are to be finalized by Sept 14.

Presenting the list of candidates at a press conference at Karachi Press Club, PML (N) Chief Coordinator Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal also announced the broad outlines of the party manifesto which is based on five-point and seven-step reforms for good governance.

The party manifesto will be launched on Sept 10.

Mr Iqbal said the manifesto aimed at elimination of illiteracy within 10-15 years, introduction of a new judicial system to ensure justice to all, effecting reforms in social and administrative structures to protect the dignity of every citizen, providing security of life and property by enforcing the rule of law and removing hurdles in the way of rapid industrialization to create job opportunities.

Mr Iqbal, who was flanked by party leaders Mamnoon Husain, Ejaz Shafi, Sardar Rahim and Mushahidullah, said besides priority to education, justice, dignity of citizens, security and industrialization, the manifesto also covered urban and rural areas. This included master plans for 10 big cities where identical facilities of water and power supply, transport and law and order would be ensured.

He said 65 per cent of the population lived in rural areas, but people had been migrating to urban areas for want of basic amenities. To check this trend, the PML (N) had presented a plan for rural industrialization.

Referring to the performance of the Musharraf regime, the PML (N) leader challenged the president to open debate with the opposition on TV.

He recalled the seven-point agenda of Gen Musharraf on the basis of which he was given mandate by the Supreme Court to rule the country.

He said as far as the point of revival of economy was concerned, at present the economy was worse than what it had been in 1999 which was then at 4.2pc, but the Musharraf regime could not maintain it. Terming the propaganda of economic revival a farce, he claimed that during the past three years the regime had failed to achieve its budget target of exports and investment, and had made life miserable for the common man due to ever-increasing power rates which had risen up to 60pc.

“Accountability, the second point on the agenda, is selective and aims at forcing politicians to change their loyalties. Those who have refused to toe the regime’s line are being victimized under the cover of accountability, but those who have fallen in line with the regime and have joined parties finding favour with the regime have been given a free hand,” he alleged.

Likewise, the regime’s recovery drive could not recover more than Rs26.5 billion, but the PML (N) government had recovered Rs29bn. The use of black laws against entrepreneurs resulted in the flight of billions of dollars from the country, he claimed.

“Instead of creating harmony among provinces, the military regime has done the opposite of it. The distribution of resources and water has been made controversial resulting in unrest in smaller provinces. On the other hand, the Nawaz government had resolved the issue of water and resources distribution with the consensus of the four provinces and the 1991 accord still holds good for all the provinces,” Mr Iqbal said.

Devolution instead of making life easy had made it complicated. Top heavy administration and imposition of ever-new taxes had overburdened the people, he claimed, saying now the powers given to the elected representatives were being withdrawn gradually.

“The military regime during its three years’ rule has given nothing but disappointments, soaring prices and heaps of problems to the nation. Gen Musharraf would be made accountable for the three years’ performance of his government,” he said.

Answering questions, he said, undoubtedly, governments in Pakistan had been implementing programmes of the IMF and the World Bank, but the Nawaz government always resisted those conditionalities which directly affected the people such as imposition of GST, and increasing gas, power and other utility services’ tariffs. Rather, the Nawaz government had reduced power rates.

Replying to a question, he said by filing nomination papers Nawaz Sharif, Kulsoom Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif had negated the disinformation resorted to by the regime that the Sharif family could not play any political role for 10 years. Had there been any deal they would not have filed their nomination papers, he added.

Asked whether Shahbaz Sharif would come to Pakistan to participate in the election campaign, he said it would be formally announced after a date was decided. His participation in the election was as sure as elections on Oct 10.

Answering another question, he said the purpose of seat adjustment with the ARD and the MMA was to block the imposition of the “King’s party” on the nation, by effectively cooperating with pro-democracy forces.