PMLN-led govt to end on completion of constitutional term: PM

LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Friday categorically announced that the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz-led coalition government would end on expiry of its constitutional term. Addressing a press conference at the Governor’s House here, Shehbaz said giving the election date and its conduct was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said even if someone else came to power as a result of the next elections, he would fully cooperate with that party. “We’ll have to shun ‘you’ and ‘me’ mantra and become ‘we’ to take the country forward.”

To a question, he said the Senate chairman himself said he would withdraw the bill to increase the allowances and perks of Senate chairmen.

Shehbaz said it was important to know the causes of economic burden and sufferings of people, as till 2018, Pakistan was developing rapidly under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. The growth rate in 2017-18 was 6.2 per cent. He said Pakistan had been counted among the fast developing economies, and CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor] was being implemented rapidly under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif.

The PM said Imran Niazi was given the power through the worst rigging in 2018, and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government delayed the first IMF agreement by six months and later the IMF agreement was blown up. Some people made money by exporting and then importing wheat and sugar, he added.

Shehbaz said imports were made at the highest bids to make the country unstable and the PTI government defamed Pakistan in every way. The friends of Pakistan and country’s institutions were also defamed in one way or the other. The PTI government was the worst example of anti-nationalism, he alleged.

The PM claimed that Nawaz Sharif put his own capital at stake to save Pakistan from default while the PMLN government took tough decisions for economic stability of Pakistan.

The PM said the May 9 incident was a conspiracy to destroy Pakistan; the enemies inside and outside the country were involved in that conspiracy. They wanted the IMF programme to fail, they wanted to destroy the country and create anarchy in Pakistan. He said a great evil was exposed as a result of the May-9 incidents and the hidden ugly faces came to the fore before the nation.