Annulling law made by parliament unacceptable: PM

HAFIZABAD/LAHORE: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday said calling elected representative mafia, thieves and dacoits in a court of law was not acceptable under any circumstances. He said: “We were termed mafia and dacoits, which is tantamount to insulting the 200 million people of the country. He regretted that the former premier Nawaz Sharif was ousted despite corruption of not even a single rupee was proved against him.

Addressing a ceremony held in connection with the distribution of health cards by launching the Prime Minister’s National Health Programme in Hafizabad district, the prime minister said polling stations decided the result of politics and the decisions of the masses were supreme.

The premier added the government has accepted all the verdicts of the court, irrespective of whether the people and the history recognised it or not, however, he reiterated that censoring or overruling any law made by the parliament won’t be accepted. The decisions made by the National Assembly and the Senate could not be annulled, he added. “We respect all the institutions and accepted the judgments of the courts in letter and spirit and we expect others to respect and accept the decisions made by parliament.”

“The institutions should remain under their domain and must not interfere in the domain of others,” he said and added the parliament is the only institution which went through accountability after every five years. Abbasi said politicians are held accountable in the general elections and those who worked for the welfare of the masses and progress of the country get re-elected, while those having vested interest are rejected.

Abbasi said political results are made at polling stations, adding one such verdict came from Lodhran where the masses voted for the politics of Nawaz Sharif, and the next judgment would be announced in July 2018 general elections. “The masses during the recent by-election have once again proved beyond any doubt that they have complete trust and confidence in the dynamic leadership of Nawaz Sharif and the performance of the government which have fulfilled all the promises,” he said.

He declared that the masses would reject the politicians who have hollow slogans, an insulting behaviour and negative politics in the upcoming elections. The prime minister made it clear that the government won’t let anyone rig the upcoming Senate elections. “The elected representatives either can serve themselves or the masses. They can’t do both,” he said, adding they are determined to fight such conspiracies. “We would resist and shame those who would get the Senate seat beyond their votes in the provincial assemblies by using their wealth,” said Abbasi who added: “We will present them before the masses. Such people could neither represent the masses nor could serve the country.”

The prime minister said it was a vision of Nawaz that the Prime Minister’s National Health Programme, Punjab Health Initiative, Specialized and Medical Education Punjab and National Health Services were started with the collaboration of NRST, NADRA and State Life Insurance Company to remove sense of deprivation among the poor and to provide best possible free-of-cost medical care. He also announced establishment of a university campus in Hafizabad and different road projects for the area.

Earlier in the day, Abbasi called on Nawaz at his Jati Umra residence, and discussed the political situation of the country besides other matters.

The two leaders also agreed on expanding enhanced public-contact campaign in light of the coming general elections.