PML-N has no quarrel with establishment, says Abbasi

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said his party - the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) - has never had a tiff with the establishment.

“We have never had any quarrel with the establishment,” Abbasi said while talking to a local news channel on a current affairs programme.

“There is no point of striking a reconciliation with the establishment when we have no fight with them.”

He clarified his stance saying, “We only named the people who were responsible for election rigging. We never pointed fingers at any single institution.”

The PML-N leader said his party always spoke for the country’s betterment, adding that even today, they do not seek power.

Abbasi said the PML-N believed the country was in a wretched condition thanks to the stolen general elections.

“Is our country in a better state today than it was on May 2, 2018?” Abbasi asked. “If the country is in a better position, I have no argument to defend my point. But, if the situation is pathetic, I want to ask what the reason is behind the deteriorating circumstances.”

"The primary reason for the ailment I believe is the digression from the Constitution," he said.

The programme host said another party leader, Muhammad Zubair, had earlier remarked the PML-N's ties with the establishment had improved. When reminded of the former Sindh governor’s statement, Abbasi asserted the N League had never had bad ties with the establishment.

Speaking about the speeches at rallies, Abbasi said they are a part of the norms. "Politicians talk about issues every single day," he said.