ISLAMABAD: Former finance minister Miftah Ismail officially tendered his resignation from various offices within the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday, expressing his intention to step away from participation in electoral politics.
In his resignation letter addressed to PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal, Ismail said: “Given the forthcoming restructuring of the party, I believe it is time for me to formally acknowledge what is already true and move on.”
Consequently, he resigned from his role as general secretary of the Sindh chapter of PML-N and all party committees, as mentioned in the letter.
Expressing gratitude, Ismail thanked the party leadership, including party supremo Nawaz Sharif and President Shehbaz Sharif, for their unwavering support and trust throughout the years.
He also acknowledged senior leaders such as Iqbal, Khawaja Asif, Ayaz Sadiq, Pervaiz Rasheed, and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, among others, for their “kindness and cooperation.”
While declaring his withdrawal from politics, Ismail emphasized a shared vision with the party members for a socially just, economically stable, and well-governed Pakistan. He concluded his letter by extending his best wishes to Ahsan Iqbal, the party, and all its leaders.
Ismail’s proposals during his five-month tenure last year faced criticism from Maryam Nawaz, senior vice president of the party, who publicly disowned his decision to increase petroleum prices.
He resigned as finance minister in September to make way for Ishaq Dar. In January, Ismail alleged that Dar was behind his removal as finance minister. He also publicly criticised Dar’s handling of the IMF negotiations.
Ismail, along with Abbasi, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, and Aslam Raisani, initiated the “Reimagining Pakistan” campaign, aiming to address the country’s challenges and develop a consensus on the necessary actions to overcome them.
The leaders emphasised that the campaign was not intended to launch a political party and declared it to be an “apolitical” initiative.
