Taking all provinces forward equally only way to strengthen democracy: Shehbaz

KARACHI: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) president Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that taking all the provinces forward equally and working jointly is the only way to strengthen the democratic system.

He was speaking to the media at the residence of Balochistan National Party supremo Sardar Akhtar Mengal after offering his condolences over the death of his father, the BNP founder and former Balochistan chief minister Sardar Ataullah Mengal, who had passed away earlier this month.

Shahbaz drove directly from the airport to Mengal’s house in DHA where he offered prayers for the departed soul. He expressed sympathies to Sardar Akhtar Mengal and other members of the bereaved family. PMLN’s central leaders, including Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ahsan Iqbal and Marriyum Aurangzeb accompanied the party’s president.

Talking to the media after offering condolences, Shehbaz said that the deceased politician had played a significant role in the abolishment of Article 58-2B of the Constitution that had been used to dissolve many democratic governments. “Ataullah Mengal devoted his entire life for supremacy of democracy and history will remember him in golden words,” he said.

"Balochistan is the largest province of the country and people of all provinces should be treated with respect. We have to work with all the provinces to realise the dream of the Quaid-i-Azam,” he said. The BNP-M chief thanked the PMLN president and party leaders for visiting and extending their condolences over the death of his father and sharing the family's grief.

Meanwhile, the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s senior deputy convenor Aamir Khan, former provincial minister Rauf Siddiqui and other leaders also visited residence of Akhtar Mengal to offer condolence of demise of Sardar Ataullah Mengal.