PTI celebrates, PPP lauds, PML-N upset in UAE

DUBAI: Pakistani expatriates living in the UAE are divided over the Supreme Court’s decision disqualifying Nawaz Sharif as the country’s prime minister in Panama Papers case.

Local political leaders of the PTI and PPP hailed the decision of the court while the PML-N termed it as “judicial murder” of the mandate of prime minster and Parliament. Speaking to The News, president PML-N Middle East Chaudhry Noorul Hassan Tanvir said that Nawaz Sharif stood against the powerful forces of the country and had to pay the price another time.

He said the court’s decision was against justice and law.  On Saturday, the PML-N Middle East held an emergency meeting of the party in Dubai and slammed the decision of the court. Noorul Hassan, President PML-N UAE Chaudhry Altaf, president PML-N Dubai Abdul Waheed Pal, president PML-N Youth UAE Tahir Bhandir, MPA from Punjab Azad Ali Tabasum, Ajman Ihsanul Khan and others participated in the meeting.

Ajman said that the party was going through another difficult time. He revealed that the overseas wing of party wanted Senator Mushahidullah Khan, Senator Pervaiz Rashid and Tariq Fatemi to be included in the new cabinet. On the other hand, after Nawaz Sharif’s dismissal as prime minister, celebrations erupted among the supporters of the PTI UAE.

They celebrated the SC verdict by distributing sweets and dancing on slogans “Go Nawaz Go” and Pakistan Zindabad. But even their “biggest celebration” could not unite them as one party here in Dubai and two different groups of PTI arranged two different programs in Dubai.

Celebrations were held in a local Pakistani restaurant of Dubai under the supervision of PTI UAE founding member Mian Awais Anjum. He told The News that the party would be united soon in Middle East and there was no space for profiteers and swindlers in the party.

PTI Ajman leader Chaudhry Obaidullah Doiyan said that PMLN and its allies had ruined the country’s condition and now they are reaping what they had sowed. The PTI Dubai general secretary Muhammad Shahid arranged another gathering along with 16 party workers and claimed that he had full support of the workers and party leadership.

He claimed that the whole credit for Supreme Court’s decision goes to Imran Khan and his hard work as he had given the country something to cheer about. The local leadership of PPP also lauded the court’s decision to disqualify Nawaz Sharif as prime minister.

The PPP leader Sardar Javed Yaqoub termed the decision as “historical” and added that the democratic system should not be derailed at any cost. Another PPP leader Mian Munir Hans expressed satisfaction over the decision and said that their leadership not only strengthened the judiciary but gave rights to Parliament also.