‘Nawaz is a symbol of resistance against enemies of democracy’

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah spoke in defence of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) beat the opposition’s bill against Sharif that demanded a bar on a disqualified person from holding party office in the National Assembly.

While speaking to a pre-session press conference at the Punjab Assembly cafeteria, Sanaullah took a dig at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, saying: “If a characterless person can hold office of party chairman in Pakistan, why can’t a disqualified person lead a party as head.” He further called Nawaz Sharif a force against the enemies of democracy saying: “Nawaz Sharif is leading big public rallies and meetings while Imran Khan is holding public meetings with smaller attendance of public.”

He told the press that Nawaz Sharif will be holding 15 to 20 public meetings in the days to come and denounced Awami Muslim League (AML) President Sheikh Rasheed regarding his speculations on a spilt within the PML-N and breaking about 70 to 80 members of the party.

“All his speculations have died as 163 members voted in favour of Nawaz Sharif in the National Assembly. Where are 80 members of Sheikh Rashid who were in contact with him. Defeat at every front has become fate of Sheikh Rasheed,” he said.

Speaking further on the matter he held his ground about PML-N always accepting the court decisions with an open heart and said that SC’s verdict about Nawaz Sharif is a case in point. However, he added that the PML-N has the right to reviewing petitions in the courts.

“Some conspirators were taking parliament-related matters to courts. The courts should throw away such matters. The Chief Justice of Pakistan should take note of such movements of anti-democratic forces against the government and let the people decided fate of these matters purely related to the public. We are proud of the judiciary but we want both the courts and public courts stand before each other and take their own decisions, “he said.

The minister alleged that PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari was causing harm to democracy rather than strengthening it, saying: “First, he (Zardari) destroyed his party. Now he is all out to cause damage to democracy. What can I say more about him?”

Sanaullah suggested that Asif Zardari should review his policy for the sake of democracy.

Concluding the press conference, he said that Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif was strictly following the policy of zero-tolerance against corruption. Talking about the scandal of 56 public sector companies he firmly stated: “There is no question of corruption in these companies. Internal and external audits are in place.”

He mentioned the sacking of chief executive officer of Saaf Pani project saying, “It was not the national Accountability Bureau or Auditor General of Pakistan which caught corruption in the project. Rather corruption was caught through the internal audit.”

Sana said the Punjab Assembly session would continue for 15 days and important legislations would be passed. He criticised the opposition members who disrupted the business of the assembly by raising unnecessary hue and cry over trivial matters.