Daily Times

LAHORE: Sardar Shahabud Din, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) deputy parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, has announced that his party would join the anti-Nawaz Sharif campaign if the prime minister did not step down before December 27.

While addressing on a point of order in the House on Friday, Sardar Shahab ensured that PPP would continue to play its due role for the protection of democracy in Pakistan, adding that his party would also help Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) complete its tenure if the government implements the four points proposed by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. However, the PPP legislator stated that his party would join the protest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) if negligence was shown in this regard.

He demanded the PML-N leadership to implement the other two demands of Bilawal Bhutto, including holding of an All Parties Conference (APC) on the issue of Panama leaks and maintaining law and order across the country.

Sardar Shahab confirmed that PPP has agreed with PTI’s stance on the Panama leaks issue and it would join Imran khan if the government did not address the issue in a transparent way.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mehmoodur Rasheed along with his colleagues continued his protest, demanding accountability of the prime minister in the Panama leaks scam. The opposition benches once again chanted slogans against the prime minister, whereas some of the female members of the treasury benches reciprocated by chanting anti-Imran slogans in return.

However, PPP legislators, including Sardar Shahab, Faiza Malik and Khurram Wattoo, did not participate in the joint opposition’s protest and remained seated.

Talking on a point of order, the opposition leader condemned some of the federal ministers for leveling allegations on fundraising of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre and said that it showed the mentality of PML-N ministers.

During the question hour, when Speaker Rana Iqbal pended some questions to be answered in the next session, Nabila Hakim Ali, an opposition member, made some comments over the chair that the government would not have the time to call the next session, which means that the PML-N would not be in power during the next session.

The Punjab Assembly session on Friday started one hour and 22 minutes late to its scheduled time. Two bills, including the Punjab Local Government (Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2016, and the Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Bill, 2016, were introduced in the House. The parliamentary secretary gave an opening speech on Parks and Horticulture Authority Lahore’s annual activity report for the year 2014-15.

On completion of the day’s agenda, the speaker adjourned the session till Monday for pending proceedings.