Deal made with ‘institutions’: Mashhood

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: PML-N leader Rana Mashhood’s statement that ‘conversations between his party and officials in the institutions showed that there is a growing sentiment that the PTI lacks the ability to deliver, has evoked a strong reaction from both the party and military.

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Talking to the Geo News, the PML-N leader said the people who helped the PTI in securing majority have a change of heart and now the Punjab government will change hands from the PTI to the PML-N. Rana said he saw the situation changing in Pakistan in the next few months. “PTI in the Punjab holds a small majority. Everyone knows how this majority was secured. The people [independent MPAs] who helped in securing this majority have told methat false promises were made and now they are having a change of heart,” said Rana.

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“In my opinion, the next 2-2.5 months are very important, as the results of the by-elections will also be in by that time. The impact of their [PTI] policies will also be apparent.” Asked who his party would field for the post of chief minister, Mashhood replied that Hamza Shahbaz was and would remain the PML-N’s candidate. Mashhood also claimed the situation would change once the verdicts of the constituencies whose results are being contested before the tribunals and the high courts begin to appear. He also stated there is a widespread sentiment that Shahbaz Sharif is a better choice. “He [Shahbaz Sharif] would have performed much better in these circumstances if he had been the prime minister.”

Meanwhile, the DG Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor expressed disappointment over the PML-N leader’s statement in which he said the PML-N would take over the Punjab government from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. “The attribution of a vested statement by Mashhood is baseless. Such irresponsible expressions hamper stability in the country,” Gen Asif tweeted. Reacting to the statement, the Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Mashhood is not the right person to speak about such an issue and it is the media which is giving him undue importance. “He [Rana Mashhood] should be asked if the matters between the PML-N and local police officers have been resolved," Chaudhry quipped.

Later Rana Mashhood sought to clarify his stance and said a private TV channel aired video clips of his statement out of context. The former provincial minister said he was trying to contact the channel's management, adding that presenting a person's views out of context and without the background of the question is not in accordance with the journalistic code of ethics. He said his views were presented after being “specifically angled”.

The PML-N also distanced itself from Rana Mashhood's statement in which he alluded to the provincial government changing hands from the PTI to PML-N. The senior PML-N leadership close to the party’s supremo have ruled out any deal or making any attempt to get the Punjab government. According to them, the PML-N will play its role as an opposition party in the Punjab and the Federation for at least two years so the people could judge Imran Khan’s performance as this would be enough time to expose him. Talking about Rana Mashhood’s statement, the sources said his statement was a wild guess. Rana Mashhood might have assumed that Imran Khan’s government is facing a backlash on almost every policy whereas he also knows Shahbaz Sharif’s way of politics and keeping these two aspects in view, he might have made the guess.

But this is not the party policy, the sources said. The sources believe that Imran Khan’s government would be given at least two years to deliver and those who brought him to power will utilise all the resources to make his government a success story. Even Mian Saheb believes that Imran Khan should be given one and a half to two years. Asked what would be the PML-N’s policy in these two years, the source informed the PML-N would play its constitutional role as an opposition party and will not resort to the PTI-like agitational policies. The PML-N would continue highlighting the issues that are important to the masses.

“We have no plans to repeat the PTI’s policies of destructive politics. The PTI’s agitation policies are not their own but they were given this task from somewhere else. However, everyone saw the PTI could not succeed in its designs,” commented the sources. Asked if Nawaz Sharif will play his pro-active role in politics again and when he was expected to resume his politics, the sources informed that he will, but after the mourning period of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz’ death was over. He rarely discusses politics these days, as he spends most of his time in recalling his memories about Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, commented the source. To a question about a possible deal for regaining the government in Punjab after the by-elections, the sources said Hamza Shahbaz is looking after the party’s affairs in Punjab and he might be well informed about the party position in the upcoming by-elections. However, the PML-N has the realisation that the ruling party always has an edge in the by-elections. Also, it is hard to motivate the people in by-elections as it is altogether a different environment when compared to the general elections. “We have no intention to form a weak government in Punjab which could be crippled any time. It’s not an easy task to run a government in the biggest province with a simple majority especially in the presence of a vindictive leader like Imran Khan in the Centre. Let’s imagine, we form the government in Punjab. Every day they will open new cases against our leaders in the NAB. With the possibility of a weak government, no one is ready to face such cases. Let the public’s charm about Imran Khan fade away,” commented the source.

The PML-N spokesperson, Marriyum Aurangzeb, said Mashhood's statement reflected his personal opinion. "Rana Mashhood's statement has nothing to do with the PML-N or its leadership," she said in a statement, expressing astonishment over the assertion. She said the party was seeking an explanation from Mashhood over his statement.