The coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced that it will complete its constitutional tenure despite a major setback in the Punjab by-polls.
“We came into power in the larger interest of the country… we knew that they [PTI government] had laid economic landmines for us but we took tough decisions to save the country,” Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said while addressing a joint press conference following an important meeting of PDM alliance parties and government officials held in Model Town, Lahore on Tuesday to deliberate upon the country’s political and economic situation.
The railways minister said Punjab by-polls was not a barometer to gauge popularity and added that his party snatched five provincial assembly seats from PTI in the by-polls.
“Provincial governments also have a right to complete their terms… by-poll is not a barometer of popularity and we snatched their [PTI’s] five seats which shows that our vote bank is intact,” he remarked.
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Calling PTI Chairman Imran Khan a “misguided and mischievous” man, Rafique said the former had always done politics with the support of ‘umpires’.
“He wants chief justice, army chief and other [heads of institutions] of his own choice in a bid to exercise control over them,” he added.
The ruling party leader said opposition leaders were put behind bars and subjected to victimisation during the tenure of PTI-led government “but the judiciary was asleep at that time”.
He said that the coalition government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided in principle that the next general elections in the country will be held on time as ally parties refused to budge under the pressure of former prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan.
Basking in Punjab by-poll glory, Imran Khan on Monday reiterated his demand for holding fresh elections in the country under a new chief election commissioner (CEC).
Addressing the nation after chairing a meeting of the PTI Core Committee, the former prime minister had emphasised that the only way to end the current political crisis in the country was to hold immediate clean and transparent elections.
Sunday’s by-elections were held after 20 PTI lawmakers were de-seated by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for voting against the party line in the election of Punjab chief minister in April.
However, defying all odds, the PTI clinched 15 provincial assembly seats out of the 20 up for grabs, dealing a stunning blow to the 13-party alliance led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on its home turf. The ruling PML-N could only bag four seats.
Today’s meeting was co-chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Maulana Shah Owais Noorani, Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz, MQM-Pakistan leader Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ayaz Sadiq, Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Shah Zain Bugti, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Mushahid Hussain Syed, Akram Durrani, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Ahad Cheema, Ayaz Sadiq, Salik Hussain, Mohsin Dawar, Aslam Bhootani, Fahad Hussain and other leaders were also present.
In view of the prevailing political situation, constitutional and legal options were considered to keep a hold on CM Hamza’s government in Punjab, insiders earlier told Express News.
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The PML-N leaders briefed the participants regarding the number game in the Punjab Assembly, while consultations were held on the strategy regarding the re-election of the Leader of the House on July 22.
According to the sources present in the meeting, PDM parties and government allies decided not to hold early elections in the country and it was decided that early elections will not be held under the pressure of Imran Khan but under the unanimous decision of the government alliance.
The insiders said it was also decided in the meeting that a new government narrative will be brought forward to break Imran Khan’s ‘anti-establishment’ narrative.
Rafique, in today’s presser, said the participants of the meeting also expressed reservations over Supreme Court’s verdict on Article 63-A related to defection clause. “We believe that the verdict is against the spirit of the Constitution and we request the Supreme Court to take up our plea against the verdict.”
Apparently referring to the PTI’s petition challenging amendments to the NAB laws in the apex court, the minister categorically stated that the ruling alliance will not tolerate interference in the legislative affairs of the parliament.
“Legislation is our right and we will make no compromise on this… conspirator Imran is trying to make judiciary controversial. They target judiciary when it announces decision in line with the Constitution,” he added.
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