Islamabad: Pakistan’s former premier Nawaz Sharif has stressed the need for respecting the ‘sanctity of vote’ and linked it to security, prosperity and development of the country.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Sharif urged that constitution, law and vote of people should be respected.

Speaking at a seminar ‘Respect for Vote’ at the National Library Auditorium in Islamabad, Sharif said never in the country’s history has the sanctity of vote been maintained. “We have all gathered here at this seminar to restore the sanctity of vote and save the country,” Nawaz maintained.

Along with PML-N’s top leadership, the seminar was attended by a number of other leaders from prominent political parties. PML-N organised the seminar with coalition partners Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) as well as Awami National Party (ANP) from the opposition.

The country’s five major political parties (four belonging to the ruling coalition) vowed to launch a movement for the supremacy of parliament and preservation of the democratic process and urged all pillars of the state, including judiciary and army to work within “constitutional framework”, Pakistani media reported.

Veteran politicians, including PkMAP Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai, ANP leader Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, ANP leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-N President Raja Zafarul Haq, leaders and workers of the PML-N as well as other political parties also participated and spoke on the occasion. Newly-elected Senator of PML-N Mushahid Hussain Syed was the convener of the event.

Addressing the seminar, the three-time prime minister said that only the people had right to entrust a person with the leadership of the country, adding that the history of Pakistan wasn’t very pleasing. “Democracy is the name of the rule of masses,” he added.

Sharif, who was disqualified for life by a Supreme Court decision on April 13 in the Panama Papers case, regretted that no premier, whether democratically elected or installed by a dictator, was allowed to complete his term “in political history, which he termed as a harmful trend for political culture and democracy in Pakistan.

“The sanctity of vote is linked to the country’s security, prosperity and development”, he contended.

Sharif alleged that the PML-N was not being provided a level-playing field in the coming elections as most of the party leaders were either facing cases in accountability courts or contempt charges.

Speaking at the seminar, Bizenjo said “trust deficit” among the state institutions is weakening the state and not the government.

ANP’s Iftikhar Hussain said that his party was participating in the seminar despite not being in the ruling coalition because they also wanted to ensure “sanctity of ballot” in the country.

The seminar focused on reinforcing the power of vote was held following the Lahore High Court’s directives to PEMRA to monitor anti-judiciary speeches made by Nawaz, Maryam and others as per Article 19 and 68 of the 1973 Constitution.