Presidential ordinance: Mian Iftikhar says PM does not trust PTI lawmakers

NOWSHERA: Awami National Party (ANP) central General Secretary and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) spokesman Mian Iftikhar Hussain on Sunday said Prime Minister Imran Khan did not trust the lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which prompted his government to promulgate the presidential ordinance to hold the Senate election through open ballot.

Addressing a gathering here, he said that it was the prerogative of the Parliament to amend the Constitution. He pointed out that the PTI had disrespected the Parliament by promulgating the ordinance for holding the Senate polls through the open ballot.

ANP provincial deputy general secretary Taimur Baz Khan, Secretary Culture Dr Khadim Hussain and district head Jamal Khattak and others also addressed the gathering. Mian Iftikhar believed that differences had cropped up among the leaders of the ruling alliance. He said the PDM had rejected the promulgation of the presidential ordinance, adding it was promulgated despite the fact that the National Assembly was in session.

“This act of the government shows that the rulers have panicked and are acting in haste,” he said, adding that if the government was sincere it would have introduced electoral reforms.

He said that the PTI government due to its incompetence had made all the state institutions controversial. The PTI rulers were good at taking U-turns and lacked the ability to deliver, he added. Mian Iftikhar said that the ANP would win the by-election in Nowshera.