Islamabad, Pakistan: The ruling party of disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif once again confirmed its majority in National Assembly of Pakistan on Tuesday when Nawaz led Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) defeated an amendment moved by joint opposition to stop Nawaz Sharif to head his political party—PMLN.
The ruling party PMLN on Tuesday defeated opposition’s move to undo a clause in the Elections Act 2017 that had enabled Nawaz Sharif to head his party.
Although over 20 members of National Assembly belonging to ruling PMLN did not turn up to House to support their party, the ruling party ruthlessly defeated an amendment with 163 votes against 98 of opposition. Number game showed that PMLN stands firm and strong under the leadership of disqualified former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif against all odds.
The Parliament of Pakistan had a long history of defections but this time parliamentarians are standing with Nawaz who is continuously facing troubles since his party won elections in 2013. A 126 days long sit in (Dharna) in front of Parliament was staged to throw Nawaz Sharif out of power in year 2014 but failed to get results and PMLN showed a strong and firm position to protect its leader. His party faced another hurricane which was Dawn Leaks scandal but he moved out of this trouble with a cost of sacrificing his one Federal Minister, one Special Assistant and one top senior bureaucrat.
Then Sharif was disqualified by Supreme Court of Pakistan in July this year but his party stood with him and he placed his hand-picked MNA Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as new Prime Minister of the country.
Nawaz Sharif has been saying that a conspiracy is on against him but he is reluctant to name those who want to remove him from Pakistani politics?
Instead of naming anybody, Nawaz Sharif is constantly fighting and winning any attempt to throw him out from Pakistani politics.
The recent attempt to throw him out of politics was moved by joint opposition led by Pakistan People’s Party which moved a bill to amend the Elections Act, 2017 [The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2017] stating that a disqualified person cannot head any political party. This particular clause was introduced by dictators in Pakistan and it remained a part of constitution till PMLN recently removed the clause through a Constitutional amendment. Opposition on Tuesday tried again to introduce an amendment in Clause 203 of the Election Act, 2017 to stop a disqualified person (Nawaz Sharif) to head his political party. However, opposition lost the number game.
Opposition was of the view that amendment was person specific and was only made to protect Nawaz Sharif while Law Minister Zahid Hamid was of the view that the House (National Assembly) that a Senate sub-committee in November 2014 had approved the amendment in presence of PPP and there was no need to re-amend the constitution. Citing constitutional history of Pakistan, Zahid Hamid said that military dictator General Ayub Khan had inserted the very clause in the Political Parties’ Act in 1962 but former Prime Minister who was founder of PPP removed this clause in 1975. This clause was against incorporated in Constitution by another dictator Gen Musharraf in 2000 and then was part of the Political Parties’ Order 2002 to keep deceased PPP head Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif out of Pakistani politics.
There is no doubt that PMLN on Tuesday defeated all those powers who wish to remove Nawaz Sharif from the politics of Pakistan but political pundits believe that PMLN just won a battle but War will go on between Nawaz Sharif and those who do not wish to see him in politics.
