LAHORE, Aug 30: Punjab PML-N Secretary-General Khwaja Saad Rafiq on Friday thanked the relevant returning officers for accepting the nomination papers of Mian Nawaz Sharif, Begum Kulsoom and Shahbaz Sharif at a time when they were shackled by the PCO.
At a news conference here, he said it was very heartening that the subordinate judiciary upheld the justice. He hoped that the superior judiciary would also adhere to the lofty principles of justice and stand with the nation in its efforts to get rid of the military dictatorship.
PML-N leaders Zaeem Husain Qadri, Mian Asad Muhammad and Ijaz Hafeez were also present.
Khwaja Saad said the rejection of Ms Bhutto’s candidacy was targeted at keeping the leadership away from the electorate. He reminded the rulers that such steps would discredit the electoral process.
Asked whether the PML-N would stay with the PPP in case the latter decided to show any kind of reaction, he said: “We’ll take any decision after proper consideration”.
He said Gen Musharraf’s assertion that he would not let Mian Nawaz Sharif and Ms Benazir Bhutto take part in the electoral process amounted to a contempt of court and was indicative of what the military ruler planned to do in the future.
The party had received information that to have the nomination papers of all the Sharifs rejected the government planned to fabricate some tax cases.
The PML-N leader said any attempt by the regime to steal the elections would provoke a strong public reaction. The rulers, he said, should better leave it to the electorate who they wanted to see in power.
Alleging that the governor was personally leading the election campaign of the PML-QA candidates and development funds were being allocated to strengthen their position in their respective constituencies. In case the regime did not desist, the electorate’s patience would exhaust and the gulf between the army and the masses would widen.
He asked the civil servants to keep themselves away from the manipulative exercise being carried out by the regime.
Answering a question, the PML-N leader said for electoral adjustments his party would give first priority to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal as both were natural allies. According to him, only partial adjustments with the PPP were being considered at present.
In response to another question, he said he was a challenger to Mian Azhar in Lahore, but in case any adjustments between the PML-N and the MMA, Hafiz Salman Butt would contest against the PML-QA president.