Did go as Pakistan’s ‘applicant’

SARGODHA: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Friday said he had visited Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar as a ‘faryadi' (complainant) of Pakistan.

According to a Geo News report, the PM was referring to the reported remarks of the chief justice of Pakistan during a hearing on Thursday, wherein he had said his job was to listen to the pleas of every 'faryadi'.

Abbasi wondered why his opponents were in pain due to his meeting with the chief justice. "They said I visited the chief justice as a 'faryadi'; yes, I did go to him as a faryadi... as a 'faryadi' of this country.

"My witness is the chief justice," he said. "I don't want to discuss the meeting, but I can tell you that we did not discuss any personal issues."

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said he had contacted Justice Nisar to discuss issues facing the country.

“I am the prime minister of this nation. (I am the) prime minister of this country. Chief Justice heads an institution. If I find any difficulty, I am bound to meet him and try to remove those,” he remarked.

He said the country belonged equally to all including himself, Imran Khan and even the chief justice.

“How the country will run if we confine ourselves to our office and not talk to each other,” he said recalling his statement at the parliament the government was faced with some issues to run the government affairs.

He believed that there was no harm in interaction when there was common objective of country’s development.

He said the meeting continued for two hours and “I hope he would have understood my words. I also listened to him. The countries are run this way only. This is nothing new,” he added.

The prime minister, during his address, reiterated that Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani had been elected through bought votes.

“I am saying this again today that money was used to get the Senate chairman elected,” Abbasi said. He [Sanjrani] could not represent Pakistan and he should be sent packing.

“Our opponents are disturbed these days over my remarks about Senate chairman. I repeat that people of Pakistan do not accept the seats obtained through use of money.

“Those who have become senators or Senate chairman using money could not represent Pakistan.

“These people need to be sent packing,” the prime minister added.

He challenged political rivals – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan and Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari to say it on the record that MPAs were not bought.

“I challenge Imran and Zardari to appear on the television and say that MPAs and votes were not bought.

“Imran has forgotten how he used to lament that Asif Zardari had bought 14 PTI MNAs. And at the time of election of Senate chairman, he voted for Zardari’s candidate.”

The prime minister said that he was proud that his party had not spent a single rupee during the Senate elections.

He also discussed the upcoming elections in July, stating that the politics of abuse would be buried in the 2018 relections. The prime minister expressed faith that the incumbent government would complete its tenure.

About National Accountability Bureau (NAB) hearing cases against Nawaz Sharif and his family members, the premier said no good was expected of them.

“We do not expect justice from NAB court. They have no evidence against the Sharif family, but Nawaz Sharif was ousted on the pretext of Iqama,” Abbasi added.

The premier also addressed the inauguration ceremony of Chaudhry Abdul Hameed Cardiology Centre at District Headquarters Hospital and two high pressure gas pipelines of 12 and 16 inch diameters for Sargodha city.

He was accompanied by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, Minister of State Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha and Special Assistant to PM Dr Musaddiq Malik besides MNA Dr Zulfiqar Bhatri MNA and MPA Abdur Razzaq.