No hesitation in resigning at right time: I support politics of reconciliation not confrontation, says Shahbaz

By News desk

LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif Saturday said he did not seek confrontation with anyone as he believed in reconciliation.

In a conversation with senior journalists, he said people know it well he had always pushed for reconciliatory politics, which had always been in the best interest of the country and its people. He said he had been "in touch with the army as an institution for 25 years now". Shahbaz said that despite his viewpoint, he "never sought any benefit from reconciliation". “My reconciliatory politics had never brought me any personal benefits,” he added.

The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) president said: "Confrontation will not benefit anyone. It is my belief that the country can only move forward with consultation and reconciliation." However, he added, the decisions made during the all parties conference still stand. He said both his party and the PPP were ready to resign from the assemblies instantly should the time come for such a move to be necessary. Shehbaz reassured that the APC decisions would be implemented in letter and spirit without exception. He stressed that the incompetent and corrupt government would not be given more time to destroy the country beyond repair.

According to Geo News talk show host Shahzad Iqbal, sources said PML-N stalwart Khwaja Saad Rafique was also present in the meeting, who said that if resistance as a strategy was adopted by the opposition, then the only one who would benefit from it would be Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government. He claimed that the government seeks to have the opposition "fight with the state institutions".

When Shahbaz was asked how the government could have such an aim when it was Nawaz himself who spoke out against the institutions, the PML-N president rejected the notion and said that the party supremo had only spoken in favour of the Constitution and the law. “Nawaz Sharif provided recommendations for the future of Pakistan. They must be taken into consideration.”

Shahbaz said the PML-N supremo speech was based on political realities only.

Referring to reports that Nawaz Sharif had prohibited party members from meeting military leadership and if it is absolutely necessary then only with express approval from him, Shahbaz clarified that Nawaz had simply said there is no harm in informing him if such a meeting was planned.

Shahbaz also spoke of the opposition's demand for re-elections, saying that all parties agree that there should be fresh, transparent polls.

He also said that no new elections must take place until the demand for "no interference" in the exercise is fulfilled.

Responding to a question on why the party thinks the prime minister seeks Shahbaz’s arrest, Saad Rafique said the premier “fears Shahbaz Sharif’s performance”.

Shahbaz also shared some documents and claimed his innocence in the ongoing cases against him. He said he did not commit corruption of even a single penny in any of the development projects completed during his government nor did he take any decision ever to benefit himself or his family. Rather, he claimed, his decisions as the chief minister caused losses of hundreds of millions of rupees to his family business.

He said his conscience was clear and his hands were clean, as he saved at least one trillion rupees for the country by completing development projects in record time. He said the failed PTI government had no other choice but to create an atmosphere of confrontation to survive. He said Imran Niazi had failed to prove a single allegation against him, and all this fuss was because he [Imran] was politically insecure regarding Gilgit-Baltistan and local bodies elections. He reminded that the Chinese and British governments rebutted Imran Khan, rejected his accusations and testified to his [Shahbaz] honesty and transparency.

Shahbaz alleged that he and his family were being subjected to fake cases, political victimisation, harassment and imprisonment.

The opposition leader stressed that the decision regarding Gilgit-Baltistan's future must be taken with approval and consultation with the people of occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. He warned that no decision should be taken which could weaken Pakistan's stance over occupied Kashmir.

Separately, addressing a press conference at the PML-N office in Model Town on Saturday, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said the PTI government was using NAB as a tool to hinder the party politics.

He said the address of Nawaz Sharif to the APC was a reflection of general sentiment prevailing among the party workers as well as common men.

He alleged that the selected government was formed through rigging in 2018, and now it wanted to arrest PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif to rig Gilgit-Baltistan elections. He warned that the PML-N would not allow the selected government to stage that drama in Gilgit-Baltistan elections again. “Imran Niazi will not be allowed to repeat what happened in 2018,” he added. He said the PML-N quaid [Nawaz Sharif], who took unprecedented steps to change the destiny of Pakistan, had been expelled from politics, and now the government wanted to oust its president as well. The judiciary has made it clear that pre-trial arrests violated fundamental rights, he added.