Forum Pakistan

Former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Thursday said that Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) should refrain from starting the game to increase numerical strength in the assemblies.

He was responding to a question at a press briefing regarding his parliamentary party meeting after the elections at the Muslim League House here on Thursday.

"I warn them (PML-N) to avoid starting the game of increasing the number of parliamentary strength by (wrong means), if they (Mian Sahib) would start the game to affect our party ñ they should remember that I am the master of such games."

He said: "All political parties, however, have a right to attract independent candidates."

He said the PML-Q and his allies like MQM, PML-Functional had got 40 per cent share of the total votes cast while the PPP secured 37 per cent and PML-N just 23 per cent.

This reflects that our party got the major share of votes in the elections and maintained its status as a national party having majority in one province of Balochistan while the PML-N has seats in one province only, he said.

He said the PML-Q would monitor the performance of rival parties like the PML-N on daily basis and remind them of their promises made to the masses like restoration of judges.

He said: "We were telling them not to make such promises with the people that you cannot fulfill but they were after it, now they have got mandate and it is our duty while sitting in the opposition to keep reminding them of their promises and seek progress in this regard," he said.

They (PPP, PML-N) are asking each other to form the government as none of them feels comfortable in making its set-up to fulfill their promises made with the people during the election campaign.

"Two days have gone by but there is no restoration of judges nor the prices of electricity, gas, wheat flour and other essential items have come down, while we are in the opposition to keep reminding them their duty," he said.

Pervaiz Elahi said that "sitting in the opposition is good for his party and you will see what happens in power corridors in the days to come".

He said his party had set a new tradition of accepting the results of the elections with an open heart and respect of public mandate. He said his party had already set the tradition of political tolerance and ending politics of revenge against the opposition.

To a question about Muslim League House Lahore, he said that he and his elders like Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi were maintaining the control of the PML house even much before Mian Nawaz Sharif's joining the Muslim League.

"We believe in avoiding conflicts but those who will bother us should know that they will not be spared," he said.

He said that some candidates of his party could not succeed in the elections with narrow margin of just a few hundred votes. Surprisingly, thousands of votes were rejected at those polling stations and there were also complaints of changing lists at the same constituencies, he added.

"Our party is preparing the data in this regard for the information of the public but not to impose rigging charges," he said.

To a question, he said his party would decide whether he should play a role in the Punjab Assembly or the National Assembly.

He said his party candidates would review their performance, improve contacts in their constituencies and take a fresh start after eliminating their mistakes.