LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will build up its anti-government campaign after Eid (this month) for midterm polls instead of pressing for replacement of Prime Minister Imran Khan with someone else from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

There are not many takers in the PML-N on the idea of building up the campaign on the ‘specific demand’ for replacing PM Khan for his “complete failure” of running the country.

The PML-N has also decided in principle to first see the momentum of the lawyers drive against the government to be launched in the middle of this month for “attacking” the judiciary by filing references against two judges of the superior judiciary before making its mind to join them (lawyers) on roads.

“Since Imran Khan and his team have completely failed to deliver and steer the country out of crises especially economic, we will press for midterm elections as they seem to be the only solution at hand at the moment to address the host of problems the country is facing today,” PML-N lone senior vice-president and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi told Dawn on Tuesday.

When asked Punjab PML-N president Rana Sanaullah’s statement that it was ready to work with the PTI government provided Imran Khan was replaced with someone else like Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Mr Abbasi said: “At the moment there is no such proposal is under discussion in the party. The PML-N will not press for replacing PM Khan with someone else (in PTI) for being incompetent as the whole PTI government is incompetent and a big failure on every front. One of the best solutions for all problems the party sees is going for midterm polls forthwith.”

About PML-N’s plan to take to the streets after Eid on the issues of freedom of the judiciary and poor governance, Mr Abbasi said: “Our party is of the view that filing of references against the judges of the superior judiciary (Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Supreme Court and Justice Karim Khan Agha of the Sindh High Court) in the Supreme Judicial Council is an attack by the Imran Khan government on the judiciary and it (PML-N) will strongly resist to it. However, we will not do politics on it as it is a very delicate matter and the legal fraternity is taking a due course to counter the government’s move.”

When asked would the PML-N be part of any movement initiated by lawyers like they did in 2007 against retired Gen Pervez Musharraf for restoration of the sacked judges, the former premier did not confirm that the party had any immediate plan to come on roads on this matter after Eid. “We do not want to politicise the judges’ issue, but we will oppose and resist this move,” he said.

Earlier, former prime minister and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif had directed his party bigwigs to counter the PTI government’s ‘attack’ on the freedom of the judiciary and declared it would go to any extent to protect the constitutional institution.

Lawyers’ drive

A party insider told Dawn that the PML-N had formed a strategy to first take on the government on the issue of the judges through its lawyers’ wing that would collaborate with its community and might come on roads to press the government to withdraw the references (against both judges). “The PML-N on the other hand will continue building up pressure on the government in the parliament and other forums in this respect,” he said, adding seeing the momentum of the ‘lawyers’ drive’ (after Eid) the PML-N would decide later whether to jump on the bandwagon or not.

A multi-party conference (MPC) will also be convened by Maulana Fazlur Rrehman after Eid. “It is very much likely that the opposition parties — PML-N, PPP and MMA — may decide to not take to streets in the first phase and see the momentum of the lawyers’ campaign,” the insider said.

Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) president Amanullah Kanrani has already announced observing a black day on June 14, the day the SJC is scheduled to take up references against Justice Isa and Justice Agha.

Mr Kanrani asked the presidents and members of all bar councils and high court and district bar associations, including the Islamabad Bar Association, to gather at the Supreme Court building when the SJC would take up the references.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan after learning of the facts (offshore holdings of the two judges in questions), PM Khan expressed the resolve that “no one is above the law.”

“The PTI has come to power with a mandate of ensuring uniform justice in the country and on a slogan of one, not two Pakistans,” she said.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2019