Daily Times

Former finance minister Miftah Ismail on Saturday resigned from his positions in the PML-N, making official “what is already true and move on” and voiced his intent to no longer remain active in electoral politics, a private TV channel reported.

In the resignation letter, Ismail said: “Given the upcoming reorganisation of the party structure, I think it’s time for me to make official what is already true and move on.”

“I therefore tender my resignation as General Secretary of PML-N Sindh and also resign from all party committees,” he said in the letter addressed to PML-N Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal.

Miftah then proceeded to thank the party leadership for entrusting him with responsibilities “not only in the party but also in the government”.

“The party Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif and President Mian Shehbaz Sharif have been most kind and considerate with me over the years. I shall always be grateful to them for their support and trust.”

He also thanked senior leaders “such as yourself, Khawaja Asif, Ayaz Sadiq, Pervaiz Rasheed, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and many others”, who he said had been very kind to him over the years.

“Although I won’t be active in electoral politics anymore, I share with you a keen desire to see a socially just, economically stable and well-governed Pakistan,” he concluded. “My best wishes to you, the party and all its leaders.” Miftah Ismail’s decision comes at a critical juncture for PML-N, as the party is undergoing a restructuring process to strengthen its political position in the country. The resignation of such a prominent figure within the party raises questions about the internal dynamics and future direction of PML-N. Earlier, the PML-N had decided to remove Miftah from the party’s office just days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told a gathering in Lahore that there was no room for those criticising and backstabbing Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

However, Miftah wasn’t alone in his removal from the party as the provincial president, Shah Muhammad Shah, too lost his spot. In this connection, PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz said Miftah – who has been very critical of the government policies – won’t get any party responsibility in the future, describing the performance of Miftah and Shah as disappointing. Promising to assign the posts to new faces, Maryam, while speaking to senior party leaders, said what Shah and Miftah were doing when the PML-N members opted to join other parties. The two leaders neither convinced those leaving the party to rethink nor informed the top leadership about the developments, she added.