People actually respected the vote in 2018 elections: Asad Umar

ISLAMABAD: The government on Sunday reacted strongly to the opposition's All Parties Conference (APC), terming it a total failure. Slamming Nawaz, Minister for Planning Asad Umar said that the PML-N leader must recognise that the "people actually did respect the vote in the 2018 elections and used it wisely".

"The result was that assoon as (Nawaz) was relieved of power, he had to hatch a scheme and flee the country," he said. Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said: "One more episode of the 'abbu bachao' (save our fathers) campaign has flopped. What better proof of media freedom than the fact that Nawaz's speech was shown live."

Fawad Chaudhry, responding to Nawaz's remarks regarding Pakistan being subjected to military rule for 33 years, said the PML-N supremo "was himself a part of the system for 15 years and served as a puppet".

He also said that Nawaz Sharif's narrative was that if the military did not bring him to power, it was unacceptable to him. Fawad Chaudhry said the main complaint Nawaz had against the Army was that why the institution did not stand by him when Imran and nation ousted him.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said that he had now "understood the nature of Nawaz's illness" and that the disease "befalls those who loot the nation's wealth and flee". "The patient instead of providing a money trail lashes out at NAB," he said, adding: "Imran Khan appears in (such patients') dreams and leaves them in a fearful state".

Listing "signs" of the opposition's "panic", Senator Faisal Javed said that the government had worked to uplift several sectors of the country and that the PTI had inherited the "worst economic crisis".

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said that the opposition parties deceived themselves through holding the APC. In statement, he said that unemployed politicians should keep this in mind that the APCs could not ensure public acceptability. He said that serving people was the real politics which was the hallmark of the PTI government. He mentioned that people of Pakistan have complete confidence in the bold and honest leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Buzdar said the opposition had once again proved that they only gathered for protecting their personal interests. He said the opposition parties have totally ignored the national interest. He stated those who looted the national exchequer cannot hoodwink the people through the drama of APC.