Who is behind Islamabad dharna, asks Nawaz
Pakistan Press Club – ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday slated Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal for not properly handling the Faizabad sit-in, asking who was behind the dharna and who settled the terms of the accord reached between the government and Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan.
The former premier chaired an informal consultative meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders at the Punjab House where he discussed, among other matters, the government’s handling of the Faizabad sit-in.
“If the only solution was the resignation of law minister, the government should have taken it by itself; the way Zahid Hamid’s resignation was taken brought shame and failure for the government,” Nawaz told Ahsan Iqbal.
Ahsan Iqbal told Nawaz that he will brief him alone. Nawaz Sharif inquired the key ministers of his party about the alternate plan after police and paramilitary personnel failed to disperse the protesters.
“Why wasn’t the provision of all the resources ensured before the operation at the Faizabad Interchange and what was the alternate strategy in case of failure?” sources quoted Nawaz as inquiring from the two ministers, reported a private news channel.
According to sources, Nawaz also separately met Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal and State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry, and the ministers briefed the party leader on the Islamabad sit-in.
The former premier, Nawaz Sharif, has warned that the country couldn’t afford conspiracies any further, which had been perpetrated for the last seven decades. The country has already suffered a lot on account of the same. He has vowed to continue to struggle for respect for people’s verdict and democracy.
PML-N Chairman and Leader of the House in Senate Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Muhammad Yusuf, Lt General Abdul Qadir Baloch, and Senator Dr Syed Asif Saeed Kirmani, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Engineer Amir Muqam Khan were also present on the occasion.
The PML-N President, Nawaz Sharif, claimed that what had been happening in the country for the past 70 years was very unfortunate and strange. “Sometimes the prime minister is removed, at other time he is hanged. Sometimes he is arrested and at other time sent into exile.”
Nawaz Sharif reportedly said that he would continue the struggle for democracy with his workers and other political parties. “Soon you and I will pledge for Pakistan’s development,” he added. The former prime minister said that all civilised countries in the world had progressed through democracy, while dictatorships had failed to deliver everywhere.
Nawaz Sharif repeated his criticism of the Panama Papers judgment and said that the people had rejected the court’s decision. “Party workers and the people of Pakistan are standing with me,” he said.
The former premier said that the people of Pakistan had the right to bring someone to power and they alone are competent to dislodge that person from the office. “The people of Pakistan are the best judge to ascertain the performance of the government and its leaders since none could misguide them.”
Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai called on Nawaz Sharif and took him into confidence about his contacts with the PPP leadership.
Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also had a meeting with Nawaz Sharif. It is understood that the controversy generated around the statement of his successor regarding the stated attack on Chaudhry’s house became part of the discussion among other subjects.
Nawaz Sharif said earlier that he had a lot of issues to speak about in front of the media, which he will do at an appropriate time. Nawaz Sharif, who came here in the morning by a special plane, left for Lahore following the meetings accompanied by Ms. Maryam Nawaz.
