ISLAMABAD: PML-N leaders on Friday criticised Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry for suggesting that the party’s President Shehbaz Sharif was the cause of the absence of the Prime Minister Imran Khan at the high-level security briefing by the military commander in the parliament a day earlier.
The information minister said earlier today that Shehbaz Sharif had sent a message to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser that the opposition would stage a walkout if the premier attended the meeting.
“Then the prime minister thought that there is no need of a walkout and you people can attend [the meeting] and I won’t come,” he affirmed when asked about the possibility of a misunderstanding.
Responding to the information minister’s claims, PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb responded angrily questioning how could Shehbaz Sharif have refused to attend when the prime minister was not even a part of the meeting.
Rubbishing Chaudhry’s claim, she said the PML-N president had not sent a message to anyone.
فواد چودھری صاحب کے پاس کوئی سرکاری دستاویز ہے جس میں شہباز شریف نے منع کیا ہو کوئی ثبوت .شہباز شریف یا شہباز شریف کے دفتر کی کوئی سرکاری خط و کتابت ہے تو دکھائیں؟
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) July 2, 2021
She questioned whether Chaudhry had any official document or evidence showing Shehbaz’s refusal, challenging him to show it if there was.
“Did Imran [Khan] sahab not attend issues of national importance and security at Shehbaz Sharif’s behest?” she questioned. She further asked whether the premier had not attended other significant events on the opposition leader’s calling.
Meanwhile, PML-N senior leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi when questioned on the matter during a press conference in Islamabad today sarcastically responded: “Yes this is indeed correct. We order the prime minister on what work he has to do.”
He said the information minister had forgotten that the prime minister didn’t need to attend the meeting since he had already received the briefing and agreed with it — though “if he came then it would’ve been a very good thing.”