Neither sought help from PPP nor contacted Zardari: Shahbaz

ISLAMABAD: The Opposition leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, on Wednesday once again dispelled the impression of differences between him and ex-prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and said Nawaz Sharif is the Quaid of the PML-N.

“I did not want to respond to the queries of differences with Nawaz Sharif as he is my leader and that of the party and we follow him as our supreme leader,” he said. He said this while talking to Executive Body of the Parliamentary Reporters Association along with the senior leaders of the PML-N Rana Tanveer Hussain, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Muhammad Asif. Asked about the reports that Nawaz Sharif sought the help from Asif Ali Zardari, Shahbaz Sharif said there was nothing like that in his knowledge. “The contacts between the opposition parties are being made on different issues but no such thing has come to his knowledge,” he said.

He said that he did not seek help from PPP nor contacted Asif Ali Zardari to get support. Shahbaz Sharif said if the accountability is conducted on the basis of rules of justice then we will support it, but we will resist if the efforts are made to impose accountability of choice.

He said the PTI government has dropped a price hike bomb on the people. The PML-N president said the PML-N and other opposition parties wanted to remain united in the Parliament. Shahbaz Sharif dispelled the impression of soft and friendly opposition. “We are not soft or friendly opposition but serious and genuine,” he said. In a reply to a question, Shahbaz said he would head the Public Accounts Committee to continue the parliamentary tradition.

“We want a better working relationship among the state institutions,” he said. Shahbaz said it was premature to comment on any efforts being made to roll-back the 18th Amendment. Replying to another question with regards to PTI government’s move to auction the government vehicles, he said during his tenure, the Punjab government auctioned over 500 vehicles without drum beating. About the possibility of a no-confidence motion against the prime minister, Shahbaz Sharif said though the no-confidence motion is a parliamentary tool yet the environment is not conducive for it. “It is premature to discuss bringing no-confidence against the government at this juncture,” he said.

To a question over impression of a deal on the suspension of conviction of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the opposition leader strongly rejected it. To a question about PTI's decision of special audit of the Metro projects, Shahbaz Sharif said he has no objection but the Peshawar Metro project should also be audited.