Nawaz’s selection as supreme leader against democratic norms, says Fawad

• Imran Khan to start countrywide political tour from March 4

• PML-N MPA Nasrullah Ghuman joins PTI

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has termed the selection of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as the supreme leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) against the spirit of democracy.

PTI Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry said, “Nawaz Sharif’s childhood wish of becoming the supreme leader of PML-N has finally come true but the move has been made against the spirit of democracy.” He said this while addressing a luncheon hosted in his honour by PTI Central Punjab Vice President Jamshed Cheema at a local hotel on Tuesday.

Chaudhry also said that Saddam Hussain and Colonel Qaddafi were also supreme leaders but both met a gruesome end. “Nawaz Sharif wanted to introduce the 15th amendment in the Constitution to appoint himself as Ameer-ul-Momineen (leader of the faithful),” he added. He also said, “Nawaz Sharif has nothing to do with democracy as he only wants to establish a monarchy in the country.”

He further said that Nawaz had to accept the court decisions whether he likes them or not. “The PML-N leaders have started taking their own decisions by ignoring court verdicts,” he added.

The PTI information secretary further claimed, “Members of PML-N have started joining PTI. Recently, a PML-N member of provincial assembly (MPA) Nasrullah Ghuman from Faisalabad announced joining the party.”

Those politicians who have a real understanding of national politics have started joining PTI after quitting PML-N, he said, while adding, “PTI Chairman Imran Khan would start a country-wide tour from Karachi on March 4, and he would also contest elections from the port city in the upcoming general elections.”

He said PTI would start its membership drive from Lahore on March 8. “The days of the present government are numbered and its rule would end in 94 days.” The PTI was just one step away from consolidating its power on the national level,” he added.

Further, Chaudhry said that PTI leaders would soon start meeting the party chairman to finalise strategies for the upcoming general elections. According to him, Imran Khan would be the next prime minister. He said that except for PTI, no other political party had representation in all four provinces of Pakistan.

Moreover, the PTI information secretary said there would be a neck-to-neck competition between PTI and PML-N in the upcoming general elections. He said PTI was united under the leadership of Imran Khan.

Talking about the arrest of former Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Ahad Cheema, he said bureaucrats have been arrested in the past as well but no one went on a strike. “Ahad Cheema is a parrot of the Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif,” he alleged.

Referring to Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, he said, “Corrupt people like Khawaja Saad Rafique are not eligible to fight elections as a councillor.”

Saad Rafique on Saturday sent a defamation notice of Rs5 billion to Fawad Chaudhry for allegedly levelling false allegations against him and demanded an unconditional apology from Fawad over his statements, where he had reportedly hurled baseless allegations regarding Rafique’s role in the Paragon Housing Society.