Shahbaz apologises for Rana Sana’s statement

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is also the PML-N president, on Tuesday apologised for the statement made by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah about the women supporters of PTI.

He was talking to a delegation of All Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) which said the distribution of advertisements in Punjab was being carried out in a transparent manner and the Information Department had adopted a foolproof mechanism for the purpose.

Separately, the chief minister directed the party office bearers and workers on Tuesday to ensure decency while talking about the political opponents. Urging them to adopt perseverance and endurance, he asked them avoid using words which might hurt anybody. “If anybody is hurt over the comment made by the PML-N leader yesterday then I am sorry over it,” he said.

In an earlier tweet, the chief minister said the PML-N acknowledged and encouraged the role of women in national politics. “Any statement demeaning them is highly irresponsible. We have to maintain decency and element of respect in political discourse. I apologise for anti-women remarks made by some party leaders,” he said.

It is worth mentioning that not only Rana Sana but also Abid Sher Ali had passed some remarks that led to a strong reaction by the PTI. During the meeting with the CPNE delegation, Shahbaz said the nation was going towards elections which would hopefully be free and fair, as the future of democracy and the country lied in that. The country’s future would be bright by giving equal opportunities to everyone in the elections, the chief minister added.

He said elections would be held on the basis of performance and the voters were to exercise their right on that. “The role of media is very important in this regard,” Shahbaz stressed. He said, “We will run vigorous election campaign in Punjab and in other provinces,” and added that development in other provinces was also necessary.

The chief minister said facts should be brought out as facts, adding that baseless allegations were not in the interest of the country. “Imran Khan was given a wonderful opportunity to implement the 11-points in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but he did not take advantage of it,” he said.

Led by its president Zia Shahid, the delegation appreciated the performance of the department and disbursement of their dues, as Zia said the chief minister’s team was proactively working, he added.