ISLAMABAD: Former opposition leader and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah on Tuesday said that that party will not let the parliament function if National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif is removed from the chairmanship of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Responding to government’s expected move to remove Shehbaz from the PAC chairmanship in Islamabad, Shah said that if a no-confidence motion is presented against Shehbaz, then “we [PPP] won’t let the parliament function.”
“PM Imran is trying to run the assembly like a container,” said the PPP leader adding that the government has unduly disturbed National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. “A speaker has no mandate to change any member of the PAC, but can only recommend a change at the request of the parties.”
The PPP leader added that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers used to chant slogans in the parliament and stood up on tables and if the government did change its current course then the opposition will also have to undertake such actions.
“The opposition parties tried to let the parliament function because of Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak, however, we won’t let the parliament function in a disrespectful manner,” he added.
“The government has failed to serve the people, and wants to get involved in fights,” said Shah.
The PPP leader also criticised PM Imran’s recent meeting with IMF chief Christine Lagarde, saying that there was no previous example found of this for “Imran did nothing but insult Pakistan.” He said that one who talked about committing suicide presented himself before the IMF.
Shah further elaborated that he did not consider the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) as a member of the opposition, saying that the party had leveraged its position to blackmail the government.