ISLAMABAD: Former premier and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has disputed the claims by Lt-Gen Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd) as the ground to quit the party, and also termed his remarks ‘regrettable’.

“Abdul Qadir Baloch’s statement is very unfortunate. I did not expect this from him. In fact, he has ruined his politics and caused damage to his reputation,” Abbasi said, while reacting to Baloch’s remarks and parting ways with the PML-N, which he announced in Quetta on Saturday.

Baloch also lashed out at former premier Nawaz Sharif for speaking up against Pakistan army, saying: “I can never think of staying with a group speaking against Pakistan Army… By doing this [Nawaz Sharif] is sowing the seeds of mutiny within the army”.

Abbasi, however, claimed that entire Pakistan agreed with Nawaz Sharif’s narrative that the country would run according to the law and Constitution.

“If Abdul Qadir Baloch had some other opinion, he should have talked within the party… Baloch has been talking to me personally, but he has never raised the subject,” the PML-N vice president said.

“He [Baloch] knows the truth, and I know it too… not inviting Sanaullah Zehri to the PDM’s [Pakistan Democratic Movement] rally [in Quetta] cannot be linked with the PDM’s narrative and it is absolutely wrong,” he said, adding that if Baloch wanted to quit the party he should have resigned instead.

“This is very unfortunate that he [Baloch] failed to maintain the honour of the party which gave him huge respect… There might be difference of opinion, but he never mentioned about [Nawaz] statement, he is referring to,” Abbasi stated.

He further stated: “those who were not with us and didn’t want supremacy of the Constitution, have reached their original place, it will further strengthen the PDM’s narrative.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020