LAHORE – PPP’s Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz on Wednesday demanded the removal of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for being “incapable” and letting bad governance touch new peaks. Addressing a news conference at the Punjab Assembly Secretariat, Riaz strongly criticised Shahbaz’s performance as chief minister, saying he was not capable of handling affairs of a province like Punjab and should quit from office in the best interest of the people. He said the province had reached the brink of bankruptcy owing to bad governance of Shahbaz and Punjab was under heavy debt for the first time in the country’s history.
Riaz said the province had no funds even to pay salaries and everything was being managed on loans and grants. He asked the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif to replace Shahbaz with any other capable and deserving candidate who could run the business of he province better. To a question about a “no-confidence motion” against Shahbaz, the opposition leader said the PPP has no such intension as it was pursuing the policy of reconciliation.
However, he said the PPP would continue to point out Punjab government’s wrong policies and would make no compromise on that. He said the demand for Shahbaz’s removal did not aim at the change of political setup, but showed that the opposition wanted the right man for the job. Condemning the Punjab government policy of wheat procurement, Riaz alleged that provincial authorities had not yet made any plan to ensure purchase of wheat from farmers which could create a major financial crisis for the agriculture sector.
He said the federal government had fixed the wheat support price at Rs 1,000 per 40kg with an intension to provide relief to the farmers. Contrary to the federal government’s measures, the Punjab government had reduced its wheat procurement target that was in fact against the grower’s interest, he added. He alleged that Punjab was conspiring to procure less wheat so that the federal government could be blamed in this regard. He said that it was the responsibility of every province, including Punjab, to procure wheat from farmers. He alleged that Punjab government was providing gunny bags to their favourites.
He said Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who was travelling in Chinese buses and trains in China, should also travel in buses of Lahore to know their condition.
Riaz said the PPP would hand a major blow to the PML-N in the next general elections. He deplored the fact that PCS officers were sent to jails and Shahbaz did not meet doctors for 32 days during their strike. “As a result 150 patients lost their lives….who is responsible for the deaths?” he questioned.
He was of the view that PML-N would not take anybody into confidence over the next fiscal budget. Commenting on the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto reference, he said the PPP was trying to clear a blemish on the face of Punjab by pointing out the four judges involved in the judicial murder of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. He hoped the apex court would provide relief in the ZAB reference case.
