As the general elections are approaching, major political parties are strategizing for a win. Aspiring candidates from various political parties have geared up their election campaigns in their respective constituencies and are connecting with the masses. PML-N, being one of the most popular political parties, is also ready to partake in elections based on vision and acumen. Unlike other political parties, the PML-N has always focused on tangible and measurable objectives as its election slogans. These objectives, encompassing vital sectors such as healthcare, energy, infrastructure, education, and the empowerment of youth through digitalization, are readily quantifiable by the people of Pakistan.
Before the 2013 elections, the PML-N promised to overcome load-shedding and the menace of terrorism. After coming into power, the party’s government doubled the installed capacity for power generation in Pakistan in a short span of five years. It not only overcame load-shedding but also produced a surplus which the next government was unable to maintain. During PML-N’s last tenure, the average inflation rate remained below five per cent. Industrial zones were established and the local production of industrial goods took off. Besides, the menace of terrorism was uprooted as a result of concerted anti-terrorism operations. The law and order situation improved in major urban centres like Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad, and there was a significant reduction in street crimes.
During its last tenure, PML-N commenced mega-development projects like CPEC which could have made Pakistan a regional corridor for transit trade. Unfortunately, progress on CPEC was stalled by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
Now the question is: will the PML-N again be able to achieve what it achieved in the past as new political actors have emerged and the political landscape has changed?
Unlike other political parties, the PML-N has always focused on tangible and measurable objectives as its election slogans.
The age of social media has brought perceptual distortions amongst the youth about traditional political parties and politics has become an all-out battle of emotions rather than rational political actions based on pragmatism.
Since the PDM assumed power after the vote of no confidence in April 2022, it had to face a multitude of challenges, unprecedented in the history of Pakistan. The outgoing PTI deliberately sabotaged the IMF programme to create difficulties for the incoming government, which ultimately impacted the people of Pakistan. Last year’s floods incurred a loss of around $30 billion and unleashed a plethora of problems for the government. The circular debt in the gas sector soared to around Rs1400 billion.
The age of social media has brought perceptual distortions amongst the youth about traditional political parties and politics has become an all-out battle of emotions rather than rational political actions based on pragmatism.
The challenges before the PML-N-led government were immense and seemingly unsurmountable. It was difficult to streamline governance in the face of immense political agitation. Despite all these impediments, the PML-N successfully reached an agreement with the IMF and brought a semblance of stability in economic affairs. The Chinese deputy prime minister visited Pakistan to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC); this is the restoration of the trust in old friends in Pakistan and the PML-N. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif initiated various projects, including a laptop scheme for the youth to incubate a digital revolution. In the longer run, it would contribute to a fourth wave of the industrial revolution based on knowledge economy and technological expertise.
The unspoken election manifesto of PML-N is the economic betterment of Pakistan through engagement with the youth, initiation of development projects, and the establishment of friendly relations with other countries to make Pakistan an economic hub and a respectable state in the comity of nations.
The PML-N gained political capital by saving Pakistan from an imminent default. A majority of Pakistanis, who had lost hope in a stable Pakistan, now realise that the PML-N carries a vision and the potential to transform Pakistan, given the rightful mandate and good working relationship with other stakeholders of the state. It successfully capitalised on its foreign policy initiatives by reaching agreements on Russian oil and expanded energy portfolio. People believe it can also make Pakistan a prosperous state in the coming times.
A majority of Pakistanis, who had lost hope in a stable Pakistan, now realise that the PML-N carries a vision and the potential to transform Pakistan, given the rightful mandate and good working relationship with other stakeholders of the state.
On the political front, the PML-N believes in peaceful coexistence rather than politics of hate and steep polarisation which has become the hallmark of some political parties. Instead of a blame game, it believes in the rules of the game which implies parliamentary supremacy and constitutionalism. Rule of law and pro-people policies are the cornerstones of PML-N’s election campaign through which economic betterment can be achieved. It envisages engaging foreign partners and businesses through Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) for sustainable and indigenous growth. Hence, elections will provide a litmus test for PML-N and its post-election success will determine the significance of its vision for the future of Pakistan.
The PML-N has the capacity and workable strategy to industrialise Pakistan through development and economic performance instead of trolling political opponents on social media platforms and agitating on the streets. It connects with people through its performance and good governance. History bears witness to the fact that whenever Pakistan teetered on the edge of an economic crisis, it was always the PML-N that steered the path towards its recovery and revival.
Once in power, the PML-N will again come up to the expectations of the general masses in a short period. It always relies on realistic optimism, avoiding empty rhetoric and implausible slogans that merely serve as superficial offerings of populist politics.
