‘Mian Sahib has gone bonkers’

LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah on Thursday said PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif had panicked and it were his colleagues, not the PPP, who betrayed him. He said he would make efforts to suggest a caretaker government set-up acceptable by all political parties in the country.

In an informal conversation with journalists, the PPP leader said consultations with political parties were not required as the responsibility of appointing a caretaker government was with the speaker and opposition leader in the Lower House of the Parliament.

Shah was referring to a statement by Nawaz who, a day earlier, had said that the leaders of all political parties should sit together for discussion on the caretaker setup. He had also said that the there would be no talks with the PPP for the caretaker governments, adding that the PPP’s approach had disappointed him.

"I suppose Mian sahib [Nawaz] does not know the prescribed mechanism for the caretaker set up," the PPP leader said. "There is no need to consult any party for a caretaker setup."

Khursheed said talks had been held with PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Shafqat Mehmood as a mere formality but the party's rejection of the caretaker setup was of no significance.