Rasheed says popular support for the PTI has shocked the government

PTI leader says movement against govt has gathered steam in both rural and urban areas

LAHORE: Leader of Opposition in the Provincial Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed claimed on Friday that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had decided to shelve the Multan Metro Bus Project.

He said the decision had been taken after a candidate supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) trounced former PTI president Javed Hashmi in the Multan by-election who was supported by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Rasheed said dozens of lawmakers affiliated with the PML-N were about to join the PTI due to the party’s incompetence.

He said the PTI’s victory had shocked the PML-N and the government was no longer challenging PTI lawmakers for their resignations. Rasheed said the government could not risk the holding of more by-elections. He said holding of midterm elections was the only solution to the political crisis.

Rasheed said popular support for the PTI in Multan and its rally in Sargodha had knocked the wind out of the government’s sails. He said the movement against the government had gathered steam in both rural and urban areas.

Rasheed said other political parties too had started organising their election campaigns after realising that the government was losing support. He said releasing development funds for lawmakers after 18 months would not salvage the situation. He said the PTI would decide whether to attend the upcoming session of the provincial assembly in a meeting of provincial and national assembly members on Monday.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 18^th, 2014.