Attempt to install national government to be resisted: Ayaz

LAHORE: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on Sunday said there was no provision in the Constitution for forming an interim national government and if any such attempt was made through judiciary then not just by the PML-N but virtually all political parties would oppose that.

Addressing a news conference, the speaker said he had not been able to wrap his head around the Supreme Court’s decision to this day. “I do not agree with the Supreme Court verdict. I myself subconsciously call him prime minister,” he said pointing towards the objection raised by PTI Chairman Imran Khan over Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi describing Nawaz as his premier.

Responding to a question regarding who shall be the PML-N head and lead the party in future after the Senate passed the bill on election reforms, he said, “Nawaz still holds the party leadership and after him his brother Shahbaz Sharif is our leader.”

Following his disqualification, Nawaz was also relinquished of his party head stature; however, the Senate on Friday passed the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017, paving the way for Nawaz to regain PML-N president’s office.

Answering a question regarding the probability of Chaudhry Nisar forming a forward bloc in PML-N and/or otherwise becoming more and more damaging to the party from within, Ayaz said constructive criticism had never been snubbed in the PML-N and Nisar with all his criticism and dissent was still a valued senior member of the party.

“What I can tell you from my recent personal interaction with Chaudhry Nisar sahab is that he told me his party is PML-N and his leader is Nawaz and the day Panama Leaks verdict was announced, Nisar stood by the party head,” he said.

To a query, he said investigation should be held right away on display of Daesh’s banners in Islamabad. “I haven’t really gotten to know the details of the incident as yet, however, it is highly concerning to hear about terrorists in the country,” he said.

To another query, the speaker said if former president Pervez Musharraf knew about Asif Zardari’s involvement in Benazir Bhutto murder case then why did he not revealed it when he was in the power.