‘Time for dialogue with PML-N over now’

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid on Monday said the doors of the Prime Minister House were open to everyone for dialogue to resolve issues but not those falling within the purview of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Talking in Shahzeb Khanzada’s programme on Geo News, Sheikh Rashid said the time for dialogue or to mediate between the two parties had gone. Sheikh said he had predicted December 31 to February 20 as the decisive period but in the current situation, November was also very important for decision-making.

Politics may start from November 1 and end on January 20, the minister said, adding that Nawaz Sharif’s speeches had frustrated him. He said Nawaz and Maryam’s narratives could not be acceptable in any way and the people had understood the anti-state agenda of the opposition.

“Apparently, only 28 PML-N MNAs attended the meeting. Nawaz and Maryam are agents of anti-Pakistan forces, while the people who have been speaking against the country are mostly wanted by the NAB,” Sheikh continued.

He said Nawaz deliberately created the current situation, as he was backed by the forces wanting chaos in Pakistan. However, he made it clear that any such attempt would be suppressed with full force.

Sheikh Rashid said he had repeatedly said that the prime minister was not going anywhere, while Nawaz Sharif had crossed his limits though the other opposition parties would not go that far in opposing the PTI-led government.

He said the PTI would lead in the Senate elections though seat-adjustment could be made with Fazlur Rehman despite his 6 percent vote and 9 NA seats. He said Nawaz Sharif was a political liability for the opposition and it was trying to wrap up the N-League’s politics in the Punjab province.

The minister said there was no room for Nawaz and Maryam’s politics though it (politics) was something like a disease and not easy to get rid of. Talking about former president General Musharraf, he said Musharraf wanted to handle Benazir Bhutto to resolve issues but it did not happen accordingly.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan had learnt a lesson from Musharraf’s experiences and understood that dialogue with the opposition could lead to further chaos. Sheikh said as far as the PML-N was concerned, it had taken a very bold step leaving nothing for dialogue with the government, while it was possible with Fazl, PPP and ANP.

He said the N-League had already torn it pages, while he endorsed the meetings of the N-league’s leadership with Shahbaz Sharif and the details coming to the surface were true but he did not want to talk about it because it was better to defuse the issue otherwise there might be a political turmoil in the country.