ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is yet to decide about throwing its weight behind Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) as a joint candidate of the opposition parties for the slot of Chief Minister Punjab in wake of the ongoing political turmoil as the party pressed on Sunday for a “national consensus on a reform agenda” to bring the “fragile” economy back on track.
Speaking at a news conference, PML-N secretary-general Ahsan Iqbal skipped to give a clear response when he was asked whether PML-N has agreed to give the slot of chief minister Punjab in return to its support for the no-trust move, as reports claimed that PPP has been agreed with the PML-Q to support Elahi for the slot after chief minister Usman Buzdar is removed.
“The opposition parties are holding talks with all the ruling coalition partners. But, Pakistan, where it is today, cannot afford such a debate as to who will become the Prime Minister and chief minister, rather the situation demands that a reform agenda must be framed through national consensus to bring the economy back on track and more forward,” he added.
When pressed again whether PML-N would agree to the PPP-PML-Q reported understanding, Ahsan Iqbal declined to make further comments, saying he had already stated as to what he wanted to say.
He further stated that it is the responsibility of all the political parties to take such decisions that cannot become a point a “shame” for them in future. He added that no coalition partner of the PTI is in a position to carry the burden of “failures” of the government and hoped that all the allied parties would come and stand behind the people of Pakistan very soon.
To another question about the Prime Minister’s announcement to hold rally a day before the vote on the no-trust move, he said that the Prime Minister is required to prove his majority in the house through getting votes and not through holding rallies at D-Chowk. However, he added that if the Prime Minister insists on holding the rally, then the opposition would also be forced to bring more than two million people to Islamabad.
He further stated that the party has suggested to the leadership that a massive rally should be held on the Constitution Avenue on the day of voting on the no-trust motion by bringing “two million” people from across the country. “But I believe that it’s a dangerous game to play. Imran Khan after seeing his defeat in the assembly now wants a chaos on the streets of Pakistan so that to create such an environment where no election should be held after his removal,” he alleged, adding that the opposition is ready to face each and every “tactic” of the Prime Minister he wanted to apply.
Ahsan Iqbal also lashed out at Prime Minister Khan and his government for claiming that “foreign hands” were behind the opposition’s no-trust move, saying that Pakistan is facing historic inflation, poverty and unemployment which cannot be a blamed on the “foreign hands”.
He added that today, Pakistan being an agriculture country has to import wheat and sugar. He said that the country has been plunged into foreign debts. He added that Pakistan’s energy centre has been ruined, adding that the LNG was not ordered on time and the repercussions of which have to be faced by the people.
He further alleged that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has been leased out to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He further alleged that the PTI government has also ruined the HEC due to which the future of the youth has been spoiled.
He alleged that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been pushed back during the four years of its government, adding no work has been done on ML-1 projects during the past four years.
He further alleged that Kashmir has been “sold out” to India and the Prime Minister and his government “did nothing”. In the OIC extraordinary session last year, he maintained that Kashmir was not even mentioned in the joint statement.
“Today, Pakistan has become the “worst corrupt” country and the current government brought the country 16 point down on the corruption index. There has been a record of corruption scandals. All the representatives of the mafias are sitting in the cabinet under his [PM] umbrella and every mafia is Imran’s donor, who is looting the people with two hands,” he further alleged.
He also accused Imran Khan of pursuing the agenda of Pakistan’s enemies, adding that in foreign funding case, it has been established that Imran Khan had been receiving money from the companies allegedly owned by Pakistan’s enemies.
“That’s the reason, we have tabled the no-confidence motion to send you packing,” he stated, adding that the time has arrived to hold him accountable.
He further stated that the government’s total focus was on framing fake cases against its opponents due to which the terrorism has once again increased. He further maintained that the Prime Minister has been failed even to provide the list of the foreign gifts.
On the local bodies’ elections, he alleged that Imran and Buzdar have been reluctant to implement the Supreme Court decision.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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