Summary
- Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan cannot move forward politically or economically as long as the country’s two major ruling parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), continue to dominate national politics.
- Fawad said the PTI founder is the country’s most influential political leader and should be engaged in talks as a Pakistani citizen.
- He added that he shares a long political association with the PTI founder and believes meaningful negotiations cannot succeed without his participation.
Former federal minister Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan cannot move forward politically or economically as long as the country’s two major ruling parties, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), continue to dominate national politics.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Fawad criticized former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, arguing that their continued influence has prevented the country from making meaningful progress. He said Pakistan would struggle to achieve stability and development unless it moved beyond what he described as the traditional political leadership.
Fawad also took aim at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s economic record. He noted that Shehbaz has presented a total of 17 budgets during his political career, including 12 as chief minister of Punjab and five at the federal level. He questioned what new solutions the prime minister could still offer after overseeing so many budgets.
Commenting on constitutional reforms, Fawad said he supports the transfer of administrative powers, adding that decentralization could strengthen governance if implemented effectively.
Addressing the broader political situation, he stressed that any genuine national dialogue must include the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who remains in prison. Fawad said the PTI founder is the country’s most influential political leader and should be engaged in talks as a Pakistani citizen. He added that he shares a long political association with the PTI founder and believes meaningful negotiations cannot succeed without his participation.
Former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, who was also present during the media interaction, said he has submitted a request to meet the PTI founder. According to Ismail, he intends to discuss proposals related to the creation of new provinces and seek his opinion on the issue before moving forward with any political discussions.
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