Daily Times

LAHORE: Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah, while criticising the government’s weak foreign policy regarding India, has urged upon calling a joint session of the parliament to discuss the Kashmir issue. He said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was trying to violate the water treaty, as there was no foreign policy evolved by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government on the issue, while it also failed to raise voice against India at any international forum in this regard.

While addressing a press conference flanked with other Pakistan People’s Party leaders including Qamar Zaman Kaira, Chaudhry Manzoor and Naveed Chaudhry on Tuesday, he said the real cause of Kashmir was being damaged by both Modi and Nawaz Sharif.

On a query regarding joining the Raiwind march of Imran Khan, the opposition leader said that his party had no interest in holding protests in front of the houses of their political opponents. However, he added, final decision regarding participation in the march would be taken by his party leadership.

He confirmed that his party would launch a protest campaign against the government for its anti-masses polices from next month, adding that Qamar Zaman Kaira would soon announce a protest against corruption of the rulers highlighted in Panama Papers. He clarified his party wanted change only through democracy.

He said that PPP had already saved the PML-N government in 2014 during Imran Khan’s previous sit-in in Islamabad. “The prime minister acknowledged the role of parliament at that time, but now he wants to make the parliament a ‘rubber stamp’, which is not be acceptable,” he added.

Describing the double standards of the government, Shah said the government did not take any action on Panama leaks issue in which PM’s family was involved, but on the Bahamas leaks, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar immediately came in action and ordered institutions to probe into the matter. He termed PML-N as ‘Panama League’.

Shah condemned the arrest of protesting farmers and tenants belonging to the Kisan Ittehad and demanded their immediate release.