Power to negotiate, make decisions rests with establishment: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: PTI Senior Vice President and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry Tuesday said they will only talk with the establishment and not with what he called the worthless PMLN leaders, as the real power rested with them.

Talking to a news channel, Fawad, in a tone reflecting helplessness and disenchantment with their political opponents, asked the anchor how the establishment could be kept out or ignored while negotiating.

He said the real power and authority to make decisions resided with the establishment that removed the PTI government. He said in Pakistan, only non-elected people made decisions and not the elected representatives who had no power.

He admitted that it was the political leadership’s collective failure to have developed a system where the political opponents sat at the negotiating table to discuss intricate issues and reached rapprochements.

He said Maryam Nawaz’s press conference or Rana Sanaullah’s statements carried no political worth or significance and their stature was too low to discuss such big issues.

“When no party is willing to talk out issues, then ultimately they (the establishment) make decisions,” Fawad said. He agreed with the anchor that the current political crisis had deepened further.

Meanwhile, reacting to the PMLN leader Maryam Nawaz’s presser, Fawad said the unchecked ‘exit and arrival’ of criminals was a slap in the face for the state and the justice system. He said Maryam’s an hour-long press conference was nothing but an expression of ‘rudeness, abuse and bad-mouthing’.

“The news given by Nawaz Sharif’s daughter to the state was that she is going to her father convicted by a court. In a long press conference, like the court’s decision, this woman also did not tell what are the sources of purchasing London properties,” Fawad said.

Anonymous support to criminals who are completely deprived of public support has raised serious concerns at the national level, he said, adding that every law-abiding citizen was worried after seeing thieves dominating the state.

“A coward who grew up in the nursery of dictatorship does not have the courage to even think of entering politics without blessings. Nawaz Sharif should return home; the nation will now take him to task. Under the leadership of Imran Khan, people are united on the agenda of achieving real freedom,” he said.

Earlier, talking to the media outside the Supreme Court, Fawad said the accused were making laws for themselves, as there were cases worth billions of rupees against Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz, but the NAB cases had been dropped and the prime minister was on a begging mission to the world.

He said there were cases worth billions of rupees against Ishaq Dar and references worth Rs1100 billion had been dropped by the NAB. “They are asking for money from the world and making laws to eliminate corruption; the NAB laws have also been changed.”

Fawad said the money was to be given for the floods in Sindh went into corruption. “Article 62-1F should be praised, but after the new elections, judicial reforms will be done.”

“The federal government is looking into the case of Moonis Elahi, whereas Jahangir Tareen’s lifelong disqualification is not due, therefore, it is necessary to make a law regarding lifelong disqualification.” He claimed that the original copy of the cipher lay in the Prime Minister’s House and Supreme Court.