–NA Opp leader says opposition parties supported govt during recent protests
–Nawaz meets Shehbaz in ‘sub-jail’, discusses future strategy
ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that the opposition had “not tried to take political advantage” during the crisis that had resulted from countrywide protests by religious outfits against the acquittal of blasphemy convict Aasia Bibi last week.
Shehbaz, who is currently in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), was presiding over a meeting of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s parliamentary party at the Parliament House.
According to a series of tweets by the PML-N, Shehbaz briefed party members on the steps that helped in improving the law and order situation in the country last week.
“[Sharif] briefed party members on the positive role played by the opposition during recent sit-ins,” the party said in a tweet.
The PML-N president was also quoted as saying that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had gained nothing from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s visit to China this week.
‘NO ECONOMIC VISION’:
The meeting also expressed concerns over the state of the economy, saying the government has “no economic vision or strategy” to deal with the crisis-like situation.
“The increasing economic instability and uncertainty could have… serious implications for the national security,” the party said.
“Economic, agricultural, commercial and industrial activities are witnessing gradual decline which could become the harbinger of an economic disaster.”
It was decided during the meeting that the PML-N will issue a fact sheet on the PTI government’s performance of first 100 days and “inform the people about the details of the current government’s failures”.
The meeting also condemned complaints and reports of media censorship in the country, saying: “The PML-N considers freedom of press an essential pre-requisite to strengthen democracy.”
Earlier, Shehbaz was brought to Parliament House for the NA session where he held a meeting with former NA speaker Ayaz Sadiq, PML-N’s Sindh representative Shah Muhammad Shah and MNA Kheal Das regarding the affairs of the party’s organisations across the country. He also had a consultative session with his lawyer Amjad Pervaiz regarding anti-graft cases registered against him.
The PML-N president’s physical remand in NAB custody is ending on Wednesday.
NAWAZ MEETS SHEHBAZ:
Moreover, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif arrived at the Ministers’ Enclave, that had been declared NAB’s sub-jail, for a meeting with his younger brother Shehbaz.
The brothers discussed the party’s affairs and the current political situation of the country during the informal meeting.
The PML-N president has been in NAB’s custody since October 5 in connection with the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case, and is currently incarcerated in NAB’s sub-jail in the federal capital as he is on a transitory remand till November 6.
NAB has accused Shehbaz of misusing his powers while being the chief minister of Punjab in an inquiry pertaining to Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC), alleging that as chief minister of Punjab, Shehbaz transferred the Ashiana Scheme project from Punjab Land Development Company (PLDC) to Lahore Development Authority (LDA), ordered for the project to be transferred back from LDA to PLDC, illegally ordered for the project to be transferred to Paragon Housing Society and then kept it in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
He is further accused of interfering in board affairs and in taking measures in violation of the law, and illegally cancelling the contract of Lateef & Sons contractors in 2013.
The leader of the opposition in the National Assembly (NA) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president was last week produced before Judge Mohammad Bashir on Wednesday, October 31 by the National Accountability Bureau where the anti-corruption watchdog sought a seven-day extension in Shehbaz’s transit remand, which was granted by the court.