People, not Nawaz, to decide who will be next PM: Shah

PANO AQIL: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said on Thursday that people, not Nawaz Sharif, would decide who would be the next prime minister – Shahbaz Sharif, Imran Khan or Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He said this while addressing a rally here. He maintained that the decision on who would become the next prime minister would be made by the people, not Nawaz Sharif.

Shah was reacting to Nawaz Sharif’s announcement that his brother and incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif would be the next prime minister. “How can Nawaz Sharif decide who will be the next prime minister? The decision on whether Bilawal Bhutto, Shahbaz Sharif or Imran Khan becoming the prime minister will be taken by the people,” Shah said.

Shah, taking another jibe at the former prime minister, said Yusuf Raza Gilani did not enquire why he was asked to leave the office of prime minister. During a news conference in Faisalabad, PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira stressed that his party would not allow democracy to be derailed in the country. “PPP wants elections to be held on time and will not allow it to be delayed,” Kaira said.

Kaira told reporters that Nawaz Sharif would benefit from derailed democracy adding that the former prime minister had been a part of democracy which was derailed in the past. According to Kaira, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was trying to create a clash among institutions, however, this would not be allowed. “Nawaz Sharif is trying to run a movement against the judiciary, let’s see what happens,” he said.

In response to a question, Kaira said that there should be accountability after the Model Town report was made public. “We have assured Tahirul Qadri if he protests within the law, we will be with him.” On Wednesday, the PPP leader said that the party did not wish to ally with Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

He had also said that the democratic system in the country did not suit Nawaz and instead of supporting the system, the former premier was moving towards a clash of institutions.