The joint opposition in the Punjab Assembly (PA), including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) on Saturday staged a protest from the Punjab Assembly to the Chief Minister’s House at 90 The Mall and staged a sit-in there to protest against the Punjab government’s miserable failure to control dengue and poor law and order in Punjab.
Punjab Opposition Leader Raja Riaz led the protest, which was also attended by PPP Punjab President Imtiaz Safdar Warraich and General Secretary Samiullah Khan. The call for the protest and sit-in was given by the PPP Punjab Parliamentary Party. Opposition members not only chanted full-throat slogans against the Punjab government and CM Shahbaz Sharif but also prayed to get rid of Shahbaz.
One of the favourite slogans of the opposition was “Sun Ley Rabba Sadi Dua, Khadim-e-Aala Maghron Laa” (O God save us from the CM). Slogans inscribed on placards read “Shahbaz Sharif Qatil” (Shahbaz is a murderer), “We don’t want Sharif Mughal emperors”, “CM Astifa Do” (CM resign), “Shahbaz Ke Khilaf Muqadma Darj Karo” (register murder case against CM), “Down with Shahbaz, Nawaz.”
Talking to journalists, Riaz termed Shahbaz a complete failure. Riaz criticised the CM for failing to take adequate steps to control dengue. He said that the Punjab government’s inadequate measures to control dengue caused a large number of deaths. He asked Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif to immediately demand the CM’s resignation for his failure to take timely measures to control the deadly virus.
Riaz said that the CM was informed about the expected dengue outbreak a year ago but he did not pay any heed. He said that due to the negligence and bad governance of Shahbaz, dengue ruled during the day while dacoits ruled the province at night. The Punjab opposition leader said that there was poor law and order in the province and law-abiding citizens were at the mercy of hardened criminals.
He accused the CM of holding sixteen ministries due to which there was no proper work in an important ministry such as health. Riaz said that Supreme Court (SC) was going to start hearing of Shahbaz’s disqualification petition and the PPP hoped that the SC would disqualify him through a fair judgment. He said that the opposition would continue its forceful protest within and outside the PA.
The Punjab government presented bottles of cold mineral water to pacify rage of the opposition but the protesters returned the mineral water. The MPAs also offered fateha for people who died of dengue and prayed for early recovery of patients.
