Former PM Nawaz Sharif promises ‘Message of Peace’ to India in party manifesto

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. AP

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), unveiled its manifesto on Saturday, outlining key priorities together with restoring Pakistan’s economic system, fostering peace with India, combating local weather change, and adopting a zero-tolerance stance in the direction of terrorism.

With lower than two weeks remaining earlier than the February eight common elections, the manifesto emphasizes the significance of sending a “message of peace” to different international locations, significantly India. However, it circumstances this peace message on India reversing its actions taken in August 2019 relating to Kashmir, as reported by Dawn.com, quoting the manifesto.

India has instructed Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir is an inalienable and integral half of the nation. Article 370, which was abrogated by India’s Parliament in 2019, is completely a matter of India in addition to its Constitution, the Ministry of External Affairs has reiterated beforehand.

The manifesto additionally vows to fight the impacts of local weather change and a “zero-tolerance policy” in the direction of terrorism, it stated.

The different agendas on the PML-N’s desk embody a “secured water future” and “add life to the economy through exports”.

Released at a particular occasion right here in the provincial capital of Punjab, the PML-N later shared the detailed manifesto titled ‘Pakistan ko Nawaz do’ on its official X account.

“If voted to power, the party vowed to provide the public with cheap and increased electricity as well as speedy development. Its promises include a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in power bills, a 15,000 megawatt-increase in electricity production, and a 10,000 MW production of solar energy,” the Dawn newspaper reported.

The party has vowed to guarantee youth illustration in nationwide politics by means of parliament, and provincial and native governments and aimed to restore scholar unions, increase the National Youth Scheme, allocate funds for IT start-ups and enhance youth entrepreneurship.

It additionally promised to set up Pakistan’s first sports activities college and 250 stadiums and academies together with youth expertise growth.

A plan to convey constitutional, authorized, judicial and administrative reforms; combating violence in opposition to minorities; modernising agriculture, and making ladies impartial other than introducing a brand new labour coverage to guarantee their rights had been additionally talked about in the doc.

The different promises embody the abolition of the National Accountability Bureau and bringing in complete amendments to the Civil Procedure Code, 1908, and Criminal Procedure Code, 1898 to standardise the procedural legal guidelines.

The manifesto additionally stated court docket proceedings shall be telecast reside if the party is elected, in accordance to The News International newspaper.

Nawaz Sharif termed it a “strange coincidence” that regardless of him being ousted because the prime minister in 2017 and “political vendettas” in opposition to the PML-N, his party members had been as soon as once more “preparing to contest elections and presenting their manifesto.”

The former three-time prime minister additionally added that he neither supposed to “express his grievances” nor was “in a mood to complain today.” In an oblique reference to former prime minister Imran Khan, he stated, “If I was there in the previous government instead of the person who you saw, I would have never done what he did.”

Criticising the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party that shaped a authorities following the 2018 elections, Nawaz Sharif stated Imran Khan’s regime broke the poor folks’s again by means of inflation and reduce off the electrical energy. Nawaz Sharif claimed that electrical energy was by no means reduce off throughout his rule.

Nawaz Sharif additionally recalled the PML-N’s earlier tenures, saying there was “no inflation” again then.

Pakistan is in financial smash and awaiting a monumental monetary default with out lengthy overdue structural reforms sought by world collectors such because the IMF and the World Bank, together with bilateral companions like China and the UAE.

The major motive behind Pakistan’s financial points is its staggering debt ranges, which, as of 2023, quantity to almost USD 125 billion owed to exterior collectors, with roughly one-third to China.

With inputs from PTI.