Will ‘gladly’ sit in opposition if independents form govt: says Shehbaz

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) President Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed independent candidates can form the government in the Centre if they have the required number of seats.

“If they call themselves PTI-sponsored or non-PTI-sponsored — if they can form a government then they should. The president will not give them an invitation,” said Shehbaz while speaking to reporters in Lahore on Tuesday.

“If they can show the majority [in the Assembly] then we will gladly sit in the opposition benches and play the constitutional role,” he added.

The former prime minister was off the view that if independent candidates cannot make a government, then, then obviously other political parties will make a decision with consensus and field a candidate.

“This is the constitutional way […] we need to move forward like this and finalise the upcoming phase,” he added.

Shehbaz Sharif said that the February 8 polls were held despite concerns regarding weather and the security situation.

صدر پاکستان مسلم لیگ (ن) شہباز شریف کی نیوز کانفرنس۔ https://t.co/GsZ5Ue92V4

— PMLN (@pmln_org) February 13, 2024

He also recognised the role played by law enforcement agencies in safeguarding the people on election day.

Shehbaz said that baseless allegations were also levelled against the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Referring to the 2018 polls, the PMLN president said that the results were poured in after 66 hours.

“For the first time in history, the results of cities were delayed while those of villages poured in.”

He asked, “Which election is there where allegations of rigging were not made?”

Shehbaz said that on the basis of a mere 10-12 per cent of results a “perception was made that independent were winning and parties were losing, which was inappropriate”.

“On one hand there are allegations of rigging [but] then independents are winning and we are losing. This is contradictory,” he said.

He said the PMLN didn’t responded with sit-ins or abuse anyone after losing 2018 polls.

“We went to Parliament with black armbands […] who doesn’t know that the election was stolen? We didn’t say we would set Parliament on fire or give the nation a message of civil disobedience.”

“We sacrificed politics to save the country. Otherwise, the PTI government had led the country to default,” he said.