ISLAMABAD – Disappointed with the government’s lack of commitment to implement the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) proposed reforms agenda within 45 days, the party’s leadership has asked its committee to get a positive answer from the government’s team or end cooperation if it seems that the government is reluctant to act swiftly.
The PML-N committee, led by Senator Ishaq Dar, told PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday that the government was using “delaying tactics” and it was evident from the stance taken by the Finance Minister Hafiz Shaikh-led committee that the 45-day timeline was irrelevant.
“The PML-N team expressed disappointment while briefing Nawaz about its four-hour meeting with the government interlocutors and told him that the government was playing politics with the them,” a source privy to the meeting told Pakistan Today.
The source said Nawaz directed the PML-N committee to get a final answer from the government’s team in the meeting scheduled for today (Thursday) and ask it to implement the demands related to the cut in the size of the cabinet, removal of incompetent heads of public sector enterprises, sacking of corrupt government officials, finalisation of the draft of the accountability bill and formation of parliamentary committee on the Election Commission of Pakistan within hours or days otherwise the PML-N would hold no meetings with the government team.
“The prime minister had said yes to the implementation of the PML-N’s agenda within 45 days after due deliberation,” said Nawaz.
He said some clauses of the agenda could be implemented within 45 minutes while others could be implemented within 45 hours. Nawaz said in an extraordinary situation tasks should be completed on war-footing. “The existing disappointment will turn into hope if the government implements national agenda in 45 days otherwise it will increase problems,” he warned.
The source, however, said the government’s team had passed the buck on the PML-N committee asking it to prepare a roadmap for implementation of its agenda within 45 days.
“Not only the ministerial committee asked the PML-N committee to prepare a roadmap in Tuesday’s meeting but also asked the PML-N leaders that the PPP government would get the PML-N’s proposed roadmap endorsed from its coalition partners before executing it,” said the source.
The source said the PML-N committee expressed disappointment over government’s intention to not implement the PML-N’s reforms agenda without taking coalition partners on board.
8 ‘Q’ warns of Tunisia-like rebellion, gives its own 5-point agenda -Page 03
