Daily Times

‘Discriminatory’ actions against political parties by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) can create misgivings about transparency of the July 25 general elections, former chief minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday.

“Such actions against candidates of political parties during the election campaign are inappropriate,” he said in a statement, as the country’s top anti-corruption watchdog tightens the noose around the Sharif brothers. “It is imperative for all the institutions to work collectively in conformity with democratic traditions to ensure free and transparent elections.”

Shehbaz said the PML-N had presented itself before the court of the people who should be allowed to deliver their verdict. “PML-N has contacted the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) under Article 218(3) of the constitution as it is incumbent upon the ECP to provide a level-playing field to all the political parties for running their campaigns freely and to ensure the holding of transparent and impartial elections,” he added.

The PML-N chief claimed that his party was the most popular political party of the country and was proud of its connection with the masses.

“Arrest of Qamrul Islam during the election campaign is highly condemnable as it can put a question mark on holding of free and transparent elections. Keeping the political leadership out of the electoral process like this does not augur well for the country,” he said.

Qamrul Islam, the PML-N candidate for NA-59 (Rawalpindi-III), was arrested earlier this month by NAB in connection with Punjab Saaf Pani Company corruption case.

Referring to the disqualification of Daniyal Aziz in a contempt of court case, Shehbaz said the PML-N did not endorse the disqualification of the candidates of the PML-N and its opponent political parties. He reiterated that all the institutions should join hands to strengthen democracy in consonance with law and the constitution. He expressed the hope that the people would give their verdict in favour of the PML-N on July 25.

Published in Daily Times, June 29^th 2018.