PML-N decides not to leave field open for govt in Senate election

ISLAMABAD: Senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said the party leadership has decided to take part in the Senate’s elections to prevent the ruling party and its allies to take two-third majority in the upper house.

“If we do not contest the Senate’s elections, then the government will take two-thirds of the majority in the parliament and will be able to change face of the Constitution,” said Ahsan Iqbal, while talking to the media outside the Accountability Court. He pointed out that the government could do away with the 18th Amendment in the Constitution and could impose presidential type of system in the country, only when it would have two-thirds of the majority in the parliament.

The PML-N leader said they did not believe in leaving an open field for the government to let it design conspiracies to change the Constitution. He said the PDM has attained success in its endeavours against the government, claiming that the ministers’ frustration and public pressure were proof of the opposition’s claim. He warned a decisive long march would sweep away the government when the time would come. He alleged that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has turned a blind eye to the most corrupt government in the history of the country.

Ahsan Iqbal said every PTI minister has involved in corruption, adding that, “Be it sugar, wheat or Utility Stores corruption”. He alleged that each minister, on the one hand, talks about honesty and on the other hand was busy looting the country. Coming harsh on financial policies of incumbent government, the PML-N leader said the PTI so far had attained over Rs11,000 billion loans and now it wanted to mortgage entities like the Islamabad Club and F-9 Park. Criticising the prime minister, he said why Imran Khan did not offer his own over 300 kanal house for mortgage.

Ahsan Iqbal termed rubbish a minister's claims that he had embezzled Rs70 billion from the CPEC projects, adding that whatever money that contractors had received from Chinese companies, had been paid directly to the contractors by their Chinese bosses. “It is due to these irresponsible statements that the CPEC has become controversial around the world,” he added.