Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Friday contacted heads of all political parties hailing from the opposition benches to devise a joint strategy, both inside and outside parliament, over yet another increase in the prices of petroleum products.
Shehbaz talked to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) leader Aftab Sherpao, Awami National Party (ANP) leader Aimal Wali Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) leader Shah Awais Noorani and National Party’s Dr Abdul Malik Baloch. The heads of political parties were unanimous in their view that this government must be ousted to get rid of inflation and price hike because it had miserably failed to give any relief to the masses.
The amendments to the NAB ordinance were also discussed during the calls, and it was decided that a joint strategy would be devised against the ‘black law’. The political heads vowed to give tough time to the government both inside and outside parliament.
Shehbaz Sharif also called Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at Bhutto House in Naundero and the two leaders discussed the prevailing political and economic situation, besides the issues faced by the masses in the country.
“Imran Khan made people suffer by giving them a lollipop of relief,” Bilawal told Shehbaz. Every passing day of the ‘selected government’ was raising the issues confronted by the people, he further said. Bilawal said people’s patience had vanished due to record inflation, and added that the premier had caused more problems for the masses.
Earlier in the day, the PML-N rejected the recent increase in petrol prices, and also moved a resolution in the Punjab Assembly against it. Shehbaz Sharif said that the PTI government’s petrol bomb had made people’s lives more difficult.
The PML-N chief wondered why the prices were increased in the dead of the night. “This is IK’s [Imran Khan’s] way of providing relief after giving a long sermon yesterday,” Shehbaz said.
He criticised the PTI government, saying that its every day in power was drawing new horrible news for the public. He also called the PTI government a corrupt and incompetent government. “The incompetent and corrupt PTI government and Pakistan cannot go together,” Shehbaz said.
According to some insiders in the PML-N, Shehbaz was planning to make another strategy with the PPP leadership to take the issue of inflation to parliament and give a tough time to the ruling PTI.
Moreover, PML-N lawmaker Sumaira Komal moved a resolution in the Punjab Assembly against the increase in price of petroleum products. In the resolution, the lawmaker said that POL prices touched historic high and it was for the first time in the history of the country that per liter petrol was being sold at Rs145. She said that PM Imran Khan had no sympathy or pain for the public. The public, she said, was already suffering from inflation and in such a situation an increase in POL prices was nothing but cruelty. She demanded through her resolution that the recent increase in POL prices be withdrawn.
On the other hand, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal joined many others in denouncing the government on Friday over the recent hike in petrol prices, saying Prime Minister Imran Khan was ‘misleading the nation’ on the matter.
Meanwhile, PPP leader Shazia Marri said the masses should be ready, as the “PPP will soon announce its anti-government protest programme”. She said that the prime minister had harmed the public instead of providing them relief. “Imran Khan has taken anti-public measures in his bid to fulfil the IMF’s agenda,” she said.
