Nawaz Sharif responds to Rana Mashood’s statement

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has responded on the controversial statement of PML-N leader Rana Mashhood that the party has struck a deal with the establishment.

Read more: Deal made with ‘institutions’, says  Rana Mashhood

The PML-N supremo was questioned during his appearance at the Accountability Court Wednesday morning.

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif has taken notice of Mashood’s comments, he said. You are asking political questions and I am in different frame of mind, Nawaz added.

Talking to the Geo News Tuesday, the PML-N leader said the people who helped the PTI in securing majority have a change of heart and now the Punjab government will change hands from the PTI to the PML-N.

Rana said he saw the situation changing in Pakistan in the next few months. “PTI in the Punjab holds a small majority. Everyone knows how this majority was secured. The people [independent MPAs] who helped in securing this majority have told me that false promises were made and now they are having a change of heart,” said Rana.

“In my opinion, the next 2-2.5 months are very important, as the results of the by-elections will also be in by that time. The impact of their [PTI] policies will also be apparent.” Asked who his party would field for the post of chief minister, Mashhood replied that Hamza Shahbaz was and would remain the PML-N’s candidate.

Mashhood also claimed the situation would change once the verdicts of the constituencies whose results are being contested before the tribunals and the high courts begin to appear. He also stated there is a widespread sentiment that Shahbaz Sharif is a better choice. “He [Shahbaz Sharif] would have performed much better in these circumstances if he had been the prime minister.”

Meanwhile, the DG Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor expressed disappointment over the PML-N leader’s statement in which he said the PML-N would take over the Punjab government from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

“The attribution of a vested statement by Mashhood is baseless. Such irresponsible expressions hamper stability in the country,” Gen Asif tweeted.

The PML-N also distanced itself from Rana Mashhood's statement in which he alluded to the provincial government changing hands from the PTI to PML-N. The senior PML-N leadership close to the party’s supremo have ruled out any deal or making any attempt to get the Punjab government. According to them, the PML-N will play its role as an opposition party in the Punjab and the Federation for at least two years so the people could judge Imran Khan’s performance as this would be enough time to expose him.