Bilawal holds talks with Shahbaz Sharif, Fazlur Rehman for removing government

LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have said all the opposition parties are on one page and the Niazi-led government will be toppled midway if they planned to march towards Islamabad.

In an important meeting held between the two leaders at the residence of PML-N president to devise strategy for All Parties Conference, Shahbaz indicated that Bilawal will lead the movement against the PTI government.

The PML-N chief while addressing the media after the meeting emphasised that PPP, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and all other political parties are on one page. He added Imran Khan and Pakistan cannot move forward together anymore. The two leaders agreed on holding Rahbar Committee meeting for deciding the agenda of APC. Bilawal said the Opposition parties will give tough time to the government over the NAB Ordinance and FATF. He added the country is going through crises and it’s the right time to get rid of the incompetent rulers. Shahbaz thanked Bilawal over his visit at a crucial time. He said the government’s poor policies have resulted in irreparable loss to the country’s economy. Coronavirus caused deaths of millions of people. The world controlled inflation but in Pakistan it was doubled. Sugar prices have hit Rs100 from Rs60, he added. He said he had never witnessed that the wheat stock was over before the completion of harvesting. The government could not control flour prices. The PTI government also threw petrol bomb on poor people who are unable to manage their meals. The tall claims of 5 million houses and 10 million jobs have also been badly exposed during the last two years.

The Opposition leaders were of the unanimous view that the PTI government has badly failed and it should be sent home without any delay. Bilawal said the selected government of Imran Khan is a risk for the country. He said Imran Khan has broken the record of giving NROs. Bilawal said the PPP will stand with the PML-N for the people of Pakistan. APC will decide the fate of the government. Shahbaz said they were not begging from the government during talks with its representatives. We are not demanding any relief as the world has seen NAB-Niazi nexus. He added the verdict of the Supreme Court in Kh Saad Rafique case has exposed the NAB. Nobody is there to question Imran Khan over corruption of billions of rupees in BRT Peshawar project. Bilawal said Shah Mehmood Qureshi is talking about the NAB instead of taking bold step on Kulbhushan Jadhav. He said the NAB Ordinance has failed being a black law. The PPP believes in human rights and democracy. Talking about FATF, he said Pakistan could be blacklisted. He said the government is daydreaming about getting more powers through FATF.

The leaders of main Opposition parties are having back-to-back meetings for deciding the strategy to launch an anti-government movement after Eidul Azha and finalising the agenda for the upcoming All Parties Conference, Geo News reported.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari first met JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman at a hotel Tuesday and later went to meet PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif at his Model Town residence in Lahore.

Talking to media after their meeting, Bilawal and Maulana Fazlur Rehman spoke of the Opposition’s strategy of going forward.

Bilawal said they talked about the APC, scheduled after Eidul Azha. A decision pertaining to the midterm elections would be made through the platform of a united Opposition, he added, noting that they wished to resolve the nation’s problems soon. “Whatever we talked about, its results will begin to appear after Eid, he added.

On the other hand, Fazl underlined that the Rahbar Committee would formulate proposals as an agenda, on which the APC would be convened. “In the last elections of 2018, the common man’s mandate was stolen. We want that back,” the JUI-F chief stressed.

“The steps the government took in the last two years have raised questions about the survival of the state,” he added. “Once Prime Minister Imran Khan departs, our first priority will be to revive country’s economy”.