'Stopping' Nawaz visiting Balochistan: PML-N lawmakers stage walkout from National Assembly

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmakers on Thursday staged walkout from National Assembly against what they alleged the federal government for stopping the party's chief Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif from visiting Balochistan. The federal government, however, rejected the allegations.
The matter was rose by PML-N's legislator Abdul Qadir Baloch on a point of order, who before leading the walkout protest of the party's members alleged the federal government for stopping Nawaz Sharif from visiting Balochistan, alleging the government for inordinately delaying Pakistan International Airline (PIA) flight on Wednesday.
He said that Nawaz Sharif was a national leader and stopping him from visiting Balochistan was injustice with the people of the province who are already feeling sense of deprivation. He said stopping Nawaz Sharif in such situation was of great concerns for the people of the country in general and Balochistan in particular. The PML-N members then staged walkout from the House.
While responding, Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah, however, rejected the allegations saying that the federal government has not stopped PML-N's chief from visiting Balochistan rather it was ready to extend all-out facilities to him to visit and stay in the province.
He said that the PML-N leader frequently uses helicopter of Punjab Chief Minister and if he was really willing to visit Balochistan, he could use the same. Khursheed Shah asked Nawaz Sharif to go to Balochistan and work for the resolution of problems faced by Baloch people, adding that the government was ready to facilitate the PML-N chief in this regard.
He further said that leaders didn't need planes to take them to certain destination rather they were supposed travel by roads and even by foot. He said the PML-N should not resort to such petty politics, as the people will not accept it. "Staging walks out on petty issues is tantamount to losing Nawaz Sharif's stature", he said, adding that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government has rejected the politics of past and embarked upon the politics of reconciliation and harmony and also urged PML-N to shun political point-scoring. Later, the protesting PML-N's members, however, rejoined proceedings of the House.