LAHORE – Provincial Food Minister Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor on Sunday accused opposition leader Raja Riaz of being the voice of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. In a press release, Ghafoor asked Riaz to visit his native city Faisalabad and try to appease people’s anger against the federal government instead of raising a hue and cry in Lahore. He said, “One who has bunged Punjab’s gas and electricity cannot hoodwink the people through his tactics.”
He said it was known to the nation that the PPP government had always meted out a step-motherly treatment towards Punjab. He alleged the pro IMF policies of those who had raised the slogan “Roti, Kapra aur Makaan” had compelled the masses to commit suicides. Ghafoor said Riaz had ceaselessly praised Punjab chief minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif in the cabinet meetings but now he had changed his opinion. Ghafoor also questioned Riaz’s change in opinion.
Another PML-N leader and MPA Zaeem Hussain Qadri said after leaving the ministry Raja Riaz had been unable to pay attention to the provincial government despite being a part of it for about three years. He said Riaz had annoyed PPP parliamentarians and he should be concerned for his own party. He said Raja Riaz had forgotten that he was known among cabinet members as ‘king of flattering’.
He said Riaz had requested a number of times for a bullet-proof car and if he had worked for the solution of people’s problems he still might had a flagged car. He said Riaz always worked for his personal interest instead of completing people’s service projects. Ghafoor also accused PPP’s ex-ministers of complaining about a lack of corruption opportunities.
