Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Alliance of seven political parties in Punjab shows that not a single party can compete with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the local government (LG) and by-elections.

Addressing a joint press conference on Tuesday, State Minister Privatisation Commission Chairman Muhammad Zubair flanked by MNAs Daniyal Aziz and Talal Chaudhry said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was repeatedly changing his position regarding by-elections in Lodhran and Lahore, which reflects his fear of losing the seats. Criticising the PTI’s political moves, he said when Imran Khan was speaking against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership in Sindh, the same day PTI’s leader Chauhdry Muhammad Sarwar was making alliance with PPP and other parties.

Zubair said the two candidates nominated by PTI for the by-elections in NA-122 and NA-154 were declared unfit for the party, in an internal report prepared by Justice (r) Wajeehud Din on intra-party elections of PTI.

Talal Chaudhry on the occasion said PTI’s alliance shows its distress as it was seeking ways to avoid the upcoming by-elections but PML-N would not let it escape.

He said the nomination of two candidates for NA-12 and NA-154 reflects the actual picture of PTI, as they were allegedly involved in corruption in the past.

Talal said Aleem Khan received clean chit by the PTI chairman after contributing donation to the Shaukat Khanam Cancer Hospital. Moreover, he said the other candidate, Jahangir Tareen, had himself confessed that his loan was written off through an ordinance. He said PTI itself called PPP a party of corrupt people and now it was entering into an alliance with it. Therefore, the PTI should tell the people that whether they were their allies or corrupt, he added.

MNA Daniyal Aziz said Imran Khan has decided seat adjustment with seven political parties including PPP to avoid defeat in local body elections. “Imran Khan has been levelling allegation of corruption on PPP leadership in his speeches in interior Sindh and now is going to make an alliance with the same party. The PTI chief has become a U-turn master,” he added.

He said PTI have been claiming to bring “Tsunami” for making a new Pakistan but now it is trying to avoid the up-coming by-elections. Daniyal said PTI was able to win in only nine districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa out of total 24 in the local body elections which reflects how much popular they are among the people of KP.

PTI had faced defeat in all by-elections and even in elections of cantonment boards and people have expressed their confidence in the leadership of PML-N, the MNA added.

“Imran Khan should have first ensured accountability within the party. But unfortunately the PTI chief is striking deals with other parties for political benefit rather than serving the public interest,” he said.

To a question, Muhammad Zubair said the PML-N government’s performance had been outstanding during last two and half years and the international rating agencies were rating Pakistan’s economy as stable.

He said according to Transparency International, corruption rate in Pakistan has gradually reduced during last 15 years but during last 2 years, it sharply came down.

He said the inflation rate has hit the lowest to 1.72% for the first time in the country’s history.

“Due to the government’s good policies, people were quite satisfied and it has also been reflected in the results of past by-elections as PML-N won all those seats,” he added.

To another question, Daniyal Aziz said in 29 mega scandals of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the share of politicians was minimal.