Former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif launches PML-N's election manifesto

Addressing a party event in Lahore, Nawaz Sharif said that the PML-N's manifesto will be "fully implemented" if voted to power. Nawaz Sharif expressed hope that people would read the manifesto.

Nawaz Sharif called Pakistan's economy the most important aspect of the manifesto, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. He called it a "strange coincidence" that despite him being ousted as Pakistan's PM in 2017 and "political vendettas" against the PML-N, his party members were once again "preparing to contest elections and presenting their manifesto".

Sharif stated that he neither intended to "express his grievances" nor was "in a mood to complain today". In an indirect reference to former Pakistan PM Imran Khan, he said, "If I was there in the previous government instead of the person who you saw, I would have never done what he did," Dawn reported.

Recalling PML-N's previous tenures, he said there was "no inflation" back then and added that detailed manifesto was shared by the party on its official account on social media platform X.

If voted to power, PML-N committed to providing people with "cheap and increased electricity" and "speedy development". The party promised a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in power bills, a 15,000 megawatt-rise in electricity production and a 10,000MW production of solar energy.

PML-N pledged to ensure youth representation in national politics through parliament, and provincial and local governments. The party further aimed to restore student unions, expand the National Youth Scheme and provide funds for IT start-ups and increase youth entrepreneurship.

The party has also promised to build "Pakistan's first sports university" and "250 stadiums and academies" along with youth skills development" and starting a Scholarship Endowment Fund. PML-N also committed to combat the impacts of climate change and a "zero-tolerance policy" towards terrorism.

In the manifesto, the party mentioned combatting violence against minorities, modernising agriculture and making women independent. The party also committed to implementing a new labour policy to ensure their rights, according to Dawn report.

While speaking at the launch event, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, who is PML-N's Manifesto Committee Chairman, said there is nothing mentioned in the manifesto that the PML-N will not be able to do when it comes to power, according to ARY News report.

Siddiqui said that the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif directed the committee to mention only achievable commitments in the manifesto. He said, "Nawaz Sharif prohibited us from making unrealistic promises in the manifesto."

The PML-N said that there was a delay in launching the manifesto as the party's focus is on comprehensive reforms, involving the establishment of 32 committees to draft it, including an assessment of the party's past performance, ARY News reported.

Taking a dig at social media campaigns launched by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal spoke about the disparity between social media narratives and reality.

PML-N Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that the party's manifesto had been made with a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the people.

Speaking at a rally in Abbottabad, Maryam Nawaz said the PML-N was committed to implementing the outlined agenda if the party was voted to power in the upcoming elections, Dawn reported.

Maryam stressed that Nawaz Sharif had a track record of fulfilling the promises he made to the country. She spoke about Nawaz Sharif's commitment to addressing the needs of the youth. She said that Nawaz Sharif had developed a plan to ensure the provision of electricity to remote regions and generate employment opportunities for young people. (ANI)