ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of making security institutions controversial through his alleged misuse of authority.
Speaking at a news conference, the PML-N leaders including Ahsan Iqbal and Miftah Ismail also lashed out at the PTI government’s failure to control the prices of basic commodities, and maintained that after rise in prices of sugar and wheat flour, now prices of ghee and cooking oil are being increased.
Referring to Prime Minister Khan’s recent speech at police passing out event on Wednesday, Ahsan Iqbal maintained that the premier made an attempt to use the security institution for his politics by targeting the opposition leadership in his speech.
“His speech was shameful as he [Imran Khan] made an attempt to use a security institution for his politics…no such kind of political speeches can be given in civil armed forces’ events and police passing out parade. Imran Khan tends to make the security institutions controversial by misusing his authority,” he claimed.
Ahsan also referred to a recent joint meeting of the leaders from all the political parties with the Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and DG Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed on the issue of provisional reforms in Gilgit-Baltistan, saying that a consensus was evolved that the contents of the meeting would not be made public prior to the GB elections.
“But the prime minister breached the national consensus…he [Imran Khan] is making all the institutions controversial,” he further alleged.
Referring to the controversy of resignations by two PML-N members, Murtaza Javed Abbasi and Mohammad Sajjad, he said no PML-N member has submitted their resignations directly to the speaker National Assembly, adding that all the members have submitted their resignations to the party leadership on which decision will be taken from the platform of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
To a question about Functional League leader Mohammad Ali Durrani’s meeting with PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, he said Durrani could have been able to comment on whatever discussions he has held with Shehbaz Sharif.
Speaking on the occasion, Miftah Ismail maintained that the government was passing on its ‘incompetence’ to the masses through increase in prices of various commodities, including wheat flour, sugar, eggs, ghee, cooking oil etc.
He added that the country may witness an acute shortage of natural gas in January 2021, adding that the government plans to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) next month at much bigger price.
He further said the government failed in timely purchasing the LNG, adding that industries may suffer closure if LNG was not imported timely next month.
Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong also met PML-N senior leaders including former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, and Marriyum Aurangzeb.
In a tweet, Ahsan Iqbal said they discussed the Pakistan-China relations and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
“We thanked him for Chinese cooperation in CPEC. Ambassador appreciated CPEC progress under PMLN government and conveyed best wishes of Chinese leadership for PML-N leadership,” Ahsan Iqbal stated in a tweet.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020