F.P. Report
KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday announced contesting the upcoming general elections from Karachi’s NA-242 constituency.
He contested from the NA-249 constituency of Karachi in the last general elections which he lost to the then-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda by a slight margin. On December 23, Muttahida Qaumi Movemment-Pakistan (MQM-P) said that no seat adjustment had been decided with the PML-N over the NA-242 constituency in district Keamari.
The party’s spokesperson had refuted all reports regarding the seat adjustment with Shehbaz Sharif-led party in the aforementioned constituency, terming them “baseless”. The spokesperson added that MQM-P Senior Deputy Convenor Mustafa Kamal is the party’s candidate for the seat.
Addressing a news conference in Karachi after meeting MQM-P leadership on Friday, Shehbaz said the public transport issue in Karachi would be resolved, provided that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was voted to power on February 8. The former prime minister said: “The issue of transport will be resolved for good under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif after February 8. People (just) have to make Nawaz Sharif successful through votes.”
He discussed political situation and election matters among other things with the MQM leadership, thanking the Karachi-based party for its cooperation during the last government. Sources said a committee would discuss the matter of seat adjustment between PML-N and MQM in two to three days. Vowing to transform Karachi and resolve the residents’ basic issues after PML-N coming into power, Shehbaz said Nawaz would end the problem of water scarcity. The coming election would decide Pakistan’s future, he added.
Karachi was the city of lights and gateway to Pakistan, he said, adding that they all had to work collectively to tackle the challenges. “Why did the Green Line project take five to six years? While Metro Bus was established in Lahore in 11 months,” he said. The PML-N president admitted the coalition government led by him could not reduce the “inherited inflation” during their rule of 16 months. He said he had visited Karachi many a time. The metropolis should be given its right, he said.
The former premier said Karachi paid trillions of rupees in tax yet the tanker mafia provided water to the citizens. He said the Karachi to Hyderabad motorway had vanished and the traffic was completely slow on the artery.
“The motorway will also be constructed if Nawaz Sharif became the prime minister,” he said. He said Karachi was a hub of banking, shipping and trade as well as the highest tax-paying city, but the broken roads and dilapidated buses ruled here, he added. He also vowed to strengthen relations with the MQM after the latter supported the coalition government rule.
