‘PML-N rejected Zardari’s offer for regime change in Punjab’

| Maryam accuses PPP of damaging democratic struggle 

| Says a visible line drawn between those sincere to PDM’s mission and those pretending to be supporters

LAHORE/KARACHI   -  Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz Saturday accused Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of damaging democratic struggle for the sake of a minor position of Senate Opposition Leader.

“Everybody knows on whose signal Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) members move on,” she said while talking to the media at the Lahore High Court on Saturday after submitting surety bonds for her bail in Raiwind land purchase case. 

Maryam Nawaz also alleged that PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had offered a deal to the PML-N in a meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) backed by the establishment for regime change in Punjab.

Maryam said Prime Minister Imran Khan was backing Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar while the ‘selectors’ wanted change in Punjab.  “They said if the PML-N and PDM accept, then we can bring change in Punjab though a vote of no confidence [against CM Buzdar] and make [Chaudhry] Parvez Elahi or someone else the chief minister.” 

She went on to say that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif had rejected the offer and given a “clear answer” that he would not sacrifice his principles or work together with the ‘selectors’ to attain political power. She said Nawaz refused to leave his principles in exchange for political power. 

Visibility perturbed over PPP seeking support of the BAP Senators, Maryam Nawaz claimed that Azam Nazir Tarar had received similar offer from Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. “Sanjrani made the offer on telephone. Tarar replied that he did not need votes of BAP senators, she claimed. “Tarar made it clear that he was with the PML-N and would not betray his party or the PDM.” 

She further said that people were now well-acquainted with the narrative of each and every party. 

“A visible line has been drawn between those sincere to the PDM’s mission, and those pretending to be its supporters,” she said. She said that it was sad that democracy was harmed for the sake of a small slot. 

“If you (PPP) were really dying for the seat, you should have talked to Nawaz Sharif. He (Nawaz) would definitely have offered you the slot,” she said. “If you also want to be selected, you will have to follow the selected Prime Minister. I am glad that all are now calling the PDM’s narrative, Maryam Nawaz’s narrative,” she said. She said, “Our narrative is out there for the entire country to see; it is Nawaz Sharif’s narrative; it is the narrative of democracy, rule of law and the Constitution.” 

When asked about the future of PDM, Maryam refrained from giving a definitive answer, but made her displeasure known. “I am waiting for PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rahman to take a position on this matter. However, I deeply regret that despite understanding the situation and despite having the wisdom, you (Gilani) have dealt a massive blow to democracy, our cause and the public’s struggle for their right to rule for a very minor and inconsequential office. This is not the PDM’s defeat, of which the PML-N remains a part. It is the defeat of the people who sacrificed their principles for an inconsequential office.”

Maryam said, “What good is a Leader of the Opposition anyway? It’s not like we could have formed a government with it even if the PML-N got the post. This is a very meaningless and I regret that for this small gain, you have taken votes from the BAP Senators.”

When asked about success of Zardari’s narrative, she said, “I am glad that a line has been drawn, on one side there are those who are sacrificing their own wellbeing for the public and its right to rule, while on the other side, there are those who have sacrificed all their principles and narrative for a minor position.” 

She asked the PPP to accept that the BAP voted for their candidate and added, “If you want to be subservient; if you want to be selected, then you should follow Imran Khan, who does this stubbornly and shamelessly”.

Earlier, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb told media that Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar should not only be removed from his post but he should also be put in jail.

She said that the Federal Investigation Agency declared Prime Minister Imran Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Minister for Economic Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar and Jahangir Tareen as sugar thieves. She said that the prices of petrol, medicine, electricity and gas will not reduce until this mafia is imposed on the country. 

This corrupt group is looting public and the sugar, which was being sold at Rs 52 per kilogram during PML-N tenure, reached Rs 120 under Imran Khan’s regime, she claimed. She said that Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz was accused of sugar price hike but Al-Arabia and Ramzan Sugar Mills did not receive subsidy even of one rupee for sugar.

Chaudhry brothers

Meanwhile, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that Punjab cannot be left at the mercy of a puppet, adding, that Hamza Shehbaz has the first right over the Punjab government, but if he is not made the Chief Minister then there is an option to talk to Chaudhry brothers.

Addressing a press conference at Media Cell Bilawal House, the PPP Chairman said that he wanted to save the PDM, while decisions regarding the PDM would be taken at a meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee on April 5. He said that he would not respond to the allegations leveled by the PML-N as he respects Maryam Nawaz and other PML-N leaders.

He said that the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House was the right of the PPP, just like the first right in the Punjab Assembly belongs to the PML-N. He further said that according to Constitutional and democratic traditions, PPP is the second largest party in the Upper House with 21 Senators, so it is our democratic right to have this post, while the PML-N’s candidate for Opposition leader in the Senate was controversial. 

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that on the issue of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, our party leaders felt that the PPP was being pushed against the wall and it is unfortunate that one party showed stubbornness. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari termed the State Bank ordinance as unconstitutional and a serious attack on the economic sovereignty of the country demanding that the government should withdraw the ordinance immediately because the State Bank should be answerable to Pakistanis instead of IMF. 

He said that we will challenge this illegal ordinance in every forum, which will affect every Pakistani.

The PPP Chairman said that the economic agreements made by the present government with the IMF were not in the interest of the people and were done in a wrong way. The current government did not have the capacity to represent and negotiate with the IMF on the country’s economy, he said.

He further said that every Pakistani’s pocket has been robbed as the way in which the common man is fighting inflation and poverty as today was worst economic situation in the history of Pakistan.

Talking about the removal of Special Assistant for Petroleum, the Chairman PPP said that there was a crisis of petrol in Pakistan when petrol is getting cheaper all over the world. 

The people who made this decision were not just a Special Assistant or an individual, but a collective decision of the Cabinet, he added.

He said that the decision was taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan and yesterday he tried to save himself by making a Special Assistant a scapegoat. All those who took decision in the Cabinet should also be removed and all should resign, he demanded.

The PPP Chairman said that the third wave of COVID-19 was going on in the country and corona was spreading rapidly in Punjab, due to which the anniversary of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto would be celebrated at district level with SOPs. Senators Sherry Rehman, Shazia Marri, Waqar Mehdi, Murtaza Wahab and Jamil Soomro were also present on the occasion.