Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz Sharif has said that had the party permitted, he would have been on canvassing for the by-elections.

Addressing a press conference at his residence in Model Town after meeting PPP South Punjab President Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, the Punjab CM said: “The goal is to save the state, not politics.”

He continued:  “We will not go for political persecution. Our alliance is not a union alliance to form a government but we are united for the country and the nation.

 “We did not come together for politics. For the past four years, we found piles of rubbish in the streets. And now in Punjab, including Lahore, cleanliness remained ideal on Eidul Azha.”

The chief minister listed his government's feats, saying: “We worked for the welfare of the people. We brought in projects like 100-unit free power, subsidy on essential foodstuff.”

He came down hard on former prime minister Imran Khan saying: “Imran Niazi himself could not do anything and went to the Election Commission on the issue of free electricity and took a restraining order on it.

“Imran Niazi bought and sold watches gifted by friendly countries from the treasury. He wants to spread chaos. We will spare no effort to make the people prosperous. No single political party can overcome the crises looming large. Imran Niazi that he is the number one liar.

He hoped the alliance will win the by-election and we will not engage in vindictive politics.

“Together we have to improve the country's economy.  “We have made decisions that have a political price to pay. Now is the time to give full benefit to the people to reduce the prices of petroleum products.”

He expressed gratitude to former president Asif Zardari and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for standing by him.

Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood said under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz, a meeting was held with the friends of PML-N to devise a strategy for the by-elections on July 17.

He said there was complete harmony in the leadership of both parties in this regard.  “Together we would give good results in the by-elections in South Punjab. “We agreed that together we have to think of Pakistan and put our politics aside.

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Ahmad Hassan, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Syed Hassan Murtaza, Makhdoom Usman Ahmed and other personalities were also present on the occasion.