Rana Sanaullah predicts PML-N victory in AJK polls

Adviser to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Political Affairs, Senator Rana Sanaullah, has said that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari knows very well that the elections in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) were conducted in a free and fair manner.

Rana Sanaullah expressed confidence that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would perform strongly in the next phase of the AJK elections. He predicted that his party could win seven out of the 10 seats being contested in the upcoming stage.

The PML-N leader also criticised the PPP’s election campaign, claiming that the party had entered the second phase of the electoral process while continuing what he described as a propaganda campaign. He expressed hope that after the completion of the third phase, the PPP would accept the election results.

Rana Sanaullah attributed the PML-N’s electoral support in AJK to the development work carried out by the party’s government in Punjab. He said voters in AJK had taken note of Punjab’s progress and consequently supported the PML-N.

He further stated that the PML-N does not intend to form a coalition government in AJK and instead aims to establish its own government. His remarks indicate that the party expects to secure enough seats to govern independently after the completion of all phases of the elections.

Addressing the issue of creating new provinces, Rana Sanaullah rejected reports that the PML-N had reached a clear or formal position on the matter. He said no party meeting had taken place where members adopted a definitive stance on the creation of new provinces, adding that the issue does not currently form part of the party’s agenda.

The senator also defended Pakistan’s parliamentary democratic system and the Constitution of 1973, arguing that neither suffers from any fundamental structural flaw. According to him, the same constitutional framework has kept the country united for nearly five decades despite political crises, military coups and periods of authoritarian rule.

Rana Sanaullah maintained that the real problem lies not in the system itself but in the failure of political actors and institutions to follow the Constitution sincerely and consistently. He argued that if the country adheres to the constitutional framework and respects democratic principles, the existing system can effectively deliver results.

He further said that repeatedly violating constitutional principles and keeping the democratic system under unnecessary pressure prevents it from functioning properly. Rana Sanaullah expressed confidence that the parliamentary system and the 1973 Constitution have demonstrated their resilience over the past half-century and can continue to serve the country successfully in the future if all stakeholders implement them in letter and spirit.