PMLN not interested in coalition govt with PPP: Shehbaz

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) has not asked Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to form a coalition government after the elections.

This was stated by PMLN President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif while addressing a press conference at the PMLN central secretariat in Model Town on Sunday. Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Azma Bukhari and Attaullah Tarar were also present.

As a result of the election, the people will decide through the ballot box the journey of development and prosperity, he said adding the PMLN has not asked Bilawal Bhutto to form a government with it.

To a question, he said if we do not get a simple majority, then we will work on the strategy of forming a government. He said instead of holding debates with Bilawal Bhutto, it was better to compare both the governments of PPP and PMLN in Punjab and yesterday’s rain was the proof of Bilawal’s actual performance.

“What happened in Karachi after the rain? If it had happened in Lahore, then he would not have contested the election,” Shehbaz Sharif said adding buying and selling votes was an insult to the people. He said it was his right to contest the elections, but not to buy votes.

Shehbaz Sharif said that there will be no political chaos after the elections and warned that if we failed to control the chaos, then we will have to face serious consequences.

The report of Transparency International has come and its results were related to the election, Shehbaz Sharif said and maintained that Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the first highway in 1997, which was providing facilities to the people even if there was criticism.

According to Transparency International, when Nawaz Sharif took over the government in 2000, the CPI had reached 139, he claimed and further said during the period of Nawaz Sharif from 2013-2018, the largest investment was made through CPEC, thirty billion dollars came and electricity projects were started.

Shehbaz Sharif said that the alleged 45pc commission taken in the Chinese projects was a false allegation. No corruption was proved even in Orange Line report of three hundred pages, he said and added Saqib Nisar stalled the Orange Line project for many months. Similar allegations were made against PKLI and 56 companies but nothing has been proved. “Transparency International has proved who the thief is, now I will tell PTI friends to vote as per Transparency International report,” Shehbaz Sharif stated and said the poison of hatred was sown in the society by the founder of PTI. Meanwhile, in another press conference, PMLN central leader Attaullah Tarar said no PPP election campaign was visible in the field and they were seen busy in buying votes. Bilawal Bhutto sat with a laptop and distributed money, he alleged adding PPP was taking an ID card against Rs2,500 and an oath was also taken on the holy book to vote for the PPP.

An application has also been submitted to the Election Commission, which will be heard on Monday, Attaullah Tarar said adding he himself went to the vote buying center with the media and found people standing in long queues to sell their votes.

“Bilawal Bhutto has lost this election. Fearing historic defeat, he is trying to buy 60,000 votes,” Tarar alleged and said he himself handed over three people to the police who were buying votes.

Tarar claimed that Bilawal Bhutto was saying that he (Tarar) and his people were buying votes, then he will withdraw from the election. “We have recovered money, holy books, buying and selling of votes cannot be allowed,” Tarar maintained and claimed that if the process of buying votes does not stop now, then he will stop it with his own hands.