PML-N to enter election campaign with 'realistic manifesto' next week

• Manifesto would be based on ground facts: PML-N senator.
• Higher echelon meeting would accord approval to manifesto.
• Sub committees constituted to compile recommendations: Siddiqui.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will kick off its election campaign soon after unveiling its manifesto based on “ground facts” for February 8 elections

Senator Irfan Siddiqui, the convener of the manifesto committee of PML-N, told The News on Sunday that the manifesto focuses on inflation, economic revival, eradicating unemployment and poverty and refinement of governance.

He said the manifesto would be based on ground facts, adding that Nawaz Sharif had issued instructions that the manifesto must be practical.

A higher echelon meeting would discuss the final draft of the manifesto tomorrow (Tuesday) and accord approval to the same as it would be a national document.

It would also provide assistance to other parties with regard to the national interest.

He said the PML-N, after assuming the government, would set up a Monitoring and Implementation Council for execution of the manifesto that would keep an eye on the pace of implementation in letter and spirit.

Senator Siddiqui said that Nawaz had announced nine points during a public meeting at the Minar-e-Pakistan in October last year that have been made part of the manifesto.

The PML-N has worked out a practical manifesto through serious exercise instead of making it a lip service and sloganeering, said Senator Irfan, adding the PML-N would like to highlight the performance of its 2013-18 government as an additional part of the manifesto.

He said that 32-sub committees were constituted to compile the recommendations while a committee of overseas Pakistanis was set up separately.

He revealed that a portal was created to seek the views of people. Incidentally, more than 6,000 people, institutions and organisations taking benefit of the facility contributed useful recommendations for future plans of the party.

He said not a single political party has done such a hectic exercise for preparation of their manifesto and that is the reason the PMLN has not presented the document yet. It took two months to articulate the recommendations, he added.

Senator Siddiqui recalled that certain political parties had made tall promises to attract public opinion, knowing they wouldn’t come to power.

For the reason their commitments are unrealistic and impracticable. He assured that the PML-N’s manifesto would be a guarantor of healthy change in the light of the country and its people.