All tactics used against PML-N in by-poll: Sanaullah

People have made it clear that they are with Nawaz Sharif

LAHORE ': Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed on Tuesday that all tactics were used in a bid to defeat the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the NA-120 by-election but the people had made clear that they were with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Addressing a press conference at Punjab Assembly, he said sophisticated tactics were used for creating obstacles in the way of the PML-N in the constituency and its workers and supporters were harassed and warned not to come out on the election day, while some of them were abducted. He said it was enough to kidnap one worker to scare the others.

The minister said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan, ‘a politician from Rawalpindi and a cleric’ should accept the election’s result and admit that the people had reservations about the court decision against the deposed prime minister. Being a political worker, he could not remain silent, he said.

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He said the turnout in the constituency had been good for a by-poll and claimed that it could have crossed 50 per cent had the voting not been stopped at 5pm.

Apparently referring to the Sharif family, he wondered about the need for joining the National Accountability Bureau’s proceedings when it had already been decided that references would be filed.

Rana Sanaullah asked why notice had not been taken of the PTI chief’s statements claiming that Supreme Court judges had turned down offers of billions of rupees made during the Panama Papers case proceedings. He asked who had given this information to Khan. The minister said he personally knew some judges since they had been in legal practice and no one could dare to make any offer to them.

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He said the Supreme Court’s name should not be used for politics.

The provincial minister said the PML-N had been obeying court orders and avoided the politics of confrontation with the institutions.

He said a person who had been elected prime minister thrice had not been provided an opportunity of appeal. He also claimed that the opposition parties’ sit-in over allegations of rigging and the Panama Papers issue had affected the country’s march towards progress.

The PML-N leader said Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shehbaz were the PML-N’s future and Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s name was being considered to head the party.