Former PML-N leaders Miftah Ismail and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday formally launched a new party called 'Awaam Pakistan', declaring it "open for all" to join.
The leaders had long discussed the possibility of creating a new political entity to help the country overcome its perennial crises.
Awaam Pakistan appeared on the political horizon last month after a video posted on the X account of the party was shared with the tagline 'Awaam Pakistan Badlaingey Nizaam'.
Both Ismail and Abbasi shared the video, which featured a series of despondent citizens asking questions about multiple national issues. The party was officially launched on Saturday.
During a ceremony in Islamabad, the former finance minister said the vision of his party was to provide Pakistanis with equal economic opportunities. He stated that Awaam Pakistan would not follow 'hereditary politics' or the'messiah' concept.
“If you believe that we have the right to move forward […] then join us, we will stand with you and rebuild Pakistan,” Ismail said.
“No senior party member will serve more than two terms,” he said. “Nor will their children come and take their position. We are not going to have dynasties or cults of personality here, we will operate on merit.”
He regretted that Pakistan had fallen behind most other countries in nearly every sector.
“There was a time not long ago when Pakistan was the richest country in South Asia, now we are behind everyone else,” he said.
“The most children out of school in the world are in Pakistan, and not in bigger countries like China,” he added. “Our government spends between Rs1.5tr and Rs2tr on education, and despite that we’re still behind Sudan, Yemen, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and other states."
Ismail said during the event that 100 million Pakistanis are living under the poverty line. “Their children sleep starving. This is where our politicians have brought us,” he lamented.
According to him, 40% of Pakistanis experience stunted physical and mental development as a result of malnutrition. “If these children have no future then what future does the country have? Can this country move forward like this?”
He stated that the recently approved budget has been designed solely for the benefit of politicians. Tax rates have been doubled for people who make between Rs75,000 and Rs100,000. Imagine the amount of expenses they must incur in addition to their utility bills, fees, and medical expenses, he lamented.
Ismail stated that his party's first priority would be to provide Pakistanis with opportunities to move forward. "If you hold the belief that Pakistanis possess the right to progress and seize opportunities, we cordially invite you to join us. We pledge to stand by you and propel Pakistan forward."
Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also addressed the ceremony and expressed his regret that politics has become more about retaining seats rather than serving the public. “It is upsetting that we worry about our seats more than our country,” he said. “What moral authority do they have to resolve our problems?”
However, he expressed hope that the public wishes to be a part of something better and added that the first step in a difficult journey has been taken. He stressed that Awaam Pakistan was an unconventional party and that he was presenting an idea rather than a traditional, structured political party.
He said that anyone could take a group of electables, establish some internal structure, and call themselves a political party. "We have not yet extended an invitation to anyone; we have merely presented an idea. When we are ready, we will reach out and begin speaking with people."
Abbasi continued, "Electables are a part of politics, but not all electables are recognisable,” Abbasi continued. “To be in Awaam Pakistan, you need ability and influence. If you have neither, you cannot be a part of this party.”
The former PM stated that, in contrast to other political parties, his party will not be seeking just anyone as members. “We want people who will contribute something to the country, not take from it,” he said. “Only those who contribute or give can help the country move forward.”
Regarding the new party’s ideology, Abbasi said he answers the question by asking, “What is your ideology?”
“The concept of left and right has died in Pakistan,” he said. “Our ideology is helping the people of Pakistan and taking responsibility for them. We need to uplift the country. If we don’t, who will? Awaam Pakistan is the name of that idea.”
Abbasi reiterated Miftah's assertion that the country cannot function without adherence to the Constitution and the law. “This party is firmly rooted in Pakistan’s Constitution and parliamentary democracy, there is no other path,” he said. “It is upsetting that 70 years have passed and we still don’t respect the Constitution."
“The tragedy is that those sworn to defend the Constitution are breaking it every day. How can a country of 240 million people run like this?”
He said that within three to four weeks, the party would release a mission statement outlining its goals and policies. “We will present a solution to the country’s problems in this statement, to prove that we aren’t just all talk,” Abbasi said.
Abbasi said that he often gets asked if he has the permission of the establishment to launch the new party. “This is the point we’ve arrived at. In this country, the common man believes that nothing can happen without the establishment’s say-so.
“They think that the parties can’t do anything, and that is because the establishment has made these parties,” he said.
The ex-PM slammed the political class, stating, “Politicians now love to talk about accountability. Everyone says they will hold people accountable, but these are the same people who tax others and not pay taxes themselves.”
He said that parliamentarians need to explain how they can tax milk whilst evading taxes themselves as he slammed the systems of revenue collection, governance and policing, calling them “useless”.
“The people on this stage can provide better solutions than our current politicians,” Abbasi said to a round of applause.
Apart from Ismail and Abbasi, former PML-N leader and KP governor Mehtab Abbasi also addressed the event.
