‘Khursheed contacted Qureshi for caretaker setup’

LAHORE: Senior PTI leader MNA Shafqat Mehmood has said Opposition leader Khursheed Shah has contacted party vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi to discuss caretaker setup before the upcoming general elections.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Shafqat said both the political leaders could possibly meet in coming days to exchange views over the caretaker setup. He said Shah Mehmood Qureshi would propose the name of caretaker prime minister on behalf of PTI to the Opposition leader. Moreover, lashing out at Punjab government for its alleged involvement in massive corruption in Metro Bus Projects of Pindi-Islamabad as well as in the purchase of medicines, the PTI MNA appealed to Chief Justice to take a suo motu notice of it.

He said the Punjab government had purchased medicines at higher rates and a corruption of around Rs 62 crore had been done in it. He said KP government had purchased the same medicines at very low prices. Besides, citing the report of Auditor General of Pakistan, Shafqat Mehmood said around Rs 6 billion corruption and irregularities had been done in the Metro Bus Project of Rawalpindi-Islamabad. Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmood ul Rasheed on the occasion said that these issues were never given access to the Public Accounts Committee.

Durrani criticises PM: Former federal minister Muhammad Ali Durrani has demanded Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi tender an unconditional apology on his statement of accusing and ‘insulting’ the Senate Chairman. In a statement issued on Sunday, Durrani warned that an elected PM from Punjab has sent a very wrong message to Balochistan and added it seemed unfortunately, more like a statement of a stooge. He questioned if the PM had the information and enough evidence of use of money or horse-trading in Senate polls, then why he remained silent on the crime.