ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif condemned the baton charge and “inhuman” treatment meted out to the members of the opposition in Balochistan Assembly on the eve of budget presentation and termed it the “height of fascism”.
In a statement, Sharif deplored the treatment the opposition lawmakers had bore during their protest. He said baton charging of the members of the assembly and stop them from attending the session was the height of despotism.
He said the use of force was undemocratic and non-parliamentary tools were employed by the despots. He said it was unfortunate that the incumbent government took a democratic protest, a difference of opinion and criticism as personal enmity.
Sharif further lamented that the government first adopted the undemocratic attitude in the National Assembly, then repeated it in the Balochistan Assembly.
This anarchy is not good in Balochistan Assembly, he declared.
He demanded to remove the deprivations of the opposition members and accept their justified demands. He asked the government to pay heed to their demands as preventing them from attending the assembly was no cure to the problem. He demanded of both sides to show tolerance and maturity.
Another PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah said that the PTI government did nothing during its three years except exacting revenge on its political opponents.
Talking to the media outside the anti-narcotics court in Lahore, he said that the government’s much-trumpeted slogan of accountability was also exposed.
Khan claimed that late accountability judge Arshad Malik had gone to Sharif family’s residence at Jati Umra to apologise to the deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif that he had to give a verdict against him in Al-Azizia Steel Mills case “under duress”.
He accused the government of giving a clean chit to PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen in references against him through Federal Investigation Agency.
He said that just like corruption cases were filed against Nawaz to take revenge from him, similarly Tareen was implicated in cases to victimise him.
He further said that the law minister had rejected the names of candidates Lahore High Court chief justice had sent to him for the appointment of judges because he wanted his blue-eyed boys in the court.
“The minister wants the likes of the Arshad Malik to be appointed judges in the courts,” he claimed.
