Sharif brothers ‘playing good cop, bad cop’, says PTI’s Shafqat Mahmood
Says one brother is bashing institutions while the other is defending them
PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
The ruling party is trying to give the impression that there is a tug of war in the ruling PML-N, but the Sharif brothers are playing ‘good cop, bad cop’. One brother is maligning national institutions and the other is issuing statements in their support.
This was stated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central spokesman Shafqat Mahmood as he spoke at a news conference on Saturday.
Mahmood claimed that the Sharif brothers were feigning a fight among themselves and creating a false impression of trouble in the party ranks. He added PML-N leader Riaz Peerzada’s press conference was a recent example of their fake tussle.
Uncertainty shrouds appointment of PML-N’s ‘permanent’ chief
In Punjab, he said, the ruling party’s ministers are wondering about the circumstances within the party.
“Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz are issuing statements that they do not want any confrontation with Pakistan Army and state institutions, while deposed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz have announced war against state institutes.”
He underscored the Sharif brothers are part and parcel of each other. “It does not make any difference if Shehbaz Sharif replaces his brother and takes over the party. Political history of the PML-N has proven that they are two sides of the same coin. However, the fight for the throne is underway among their offspring,” he added.
Mahmood highlighted that Shehbaz Sharif is accused of 14 murders in the Model Town carnage. “Victim families and people of Pakistan cannot forgive him. He is also one of the main accused in the Hudabia Paper Mills case.
He said women were giving birth to their children on roads due to the absence of a healthcare infrastructure in the city. The PTI leader continued that the government was focused on a mega development project only because of kickbacks and commissions.
“The provincial government does not invest in healthcare and education as rulers cannot make money in such projects.
He alleged that provincial government was building the Rs200 billion Lahore Orange Line Metro Tran project in which minimum they have gotten kickbacks worth Rs20 billion. He said people of Punjab were struggling for clean drinking water, but rulers are busy making money.
Internal rifts: PML-N issues notice to MPA
He said PML-N had the government in the centre and the province, while Maryum Nawaz was saying it is a “dictatorship”. “Are they trying to make fool of the public by making such statements?” he questioned.
He said the nation was waiting for this indictment for the past three decades. “The ruling party is running the country like a corporate. They have got UAE work permits by declaring themselves as guards and accountants. Hassan Nawaz has billions of rupees, but he is still a student.”
Mahmood backed Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s demand for Nawaz Shari’s arrest. He stressed that PTI Chairman Imran Khan has never held a public office and therefore it would be unfair to compare him to the Sharifs, who have constantly been in and out of government for the past three decades.
He demanded authorities put Nawaz Sharif’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) and ensure a complete inquiry against him. Mahmood said his party had demanded early polls because it believed that there was a great political vacuum in the country.
The ruling party is trying to give the impression that there is a tug of war in the ruling PML-N, but the Sharif brothers are playing ‘good cop, bad cop’. One brother is maligning national institutions and the other is issuing statements in their support.
This was stated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central spokesman Shafqat Mahmood as he spoke at a news conference on Saturday.
Mahmood claimed that the Sharif brothers were feigning a fight among themselves and creating a false impression of trouble in the party ranks. He added PML-N leader Riaz Peerzada’s press conference was a recent example of their fake tussle.
Uncertainty shrouds appointment of PML-N’s ‘permanent’ chief
In Punjab, he said, the ruling party’s ministers are wondering about the circumstances within the party.
“Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz are issuing statements that they do not want any confrontation with Pakistan Army and state institutions, while deposed Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz have announced war against state institutes.”
He underscored the Sharif brothers are part and parcel of each other. “It does not make any difference if Shehbaz Sharif replaces his brother and takes over the party. Political history of the PML-N has proven that they are two sides of the same coin. However, the fight for the throne is underway among their offspring,” he added.
Mahmood highlighted that Shehbaz Sharif is accused of 14 murders in the Model Town carnage. “Victim families and people of Pakistan cannot forgive him. He is also one of the main accused in the Hudabia Paper Mills case.
He said women were giving birth to their children on roads due to the absence of a healthcare infrastructure in the city. The PTI leader continued that the government was focused on a mega development project only because of kickbacks and commissions.
“The provincial government does not invest in healthcare and education as rulers cannot make money in such projects.
He alleged that provincial government was building the Rs200 billion Lahore Orange Line Metro Tran project in which minimum they have gotten kickbacks worth Rs20 billion. He said people of Punjab were struggling for clean drinking water, but rulers are busy making money.
Internal rifts: PML-N issues notice to MPA
He said PML-N had the government in the centre and the province, while Maryum Nawaz was saying it is a “dictatorship”. “Are they trying to make fool of the public by making such statements?” he questioned.
He said the nation was waiting for this indictment for the past three decades. “The ruling party is running the country like a corporate. They have got UAE work permits by declaring themselves as guards and accountants. Hassan Nawaz has billions of rupees, but he is still a student.”
Mahmood backed Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s demand for Nawaz Shari’s arrest. He stressed that PTI Chairman Imran Khan has never held a public office and therefore it would be unfair to compare him to the Sharifs, who have constantly been in and out of government for the past three decades.
He demanded authorities put Nawaz Sharif’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL) and ensure a complete inquiry against him. Mahmood said his party had demanded early polls because it believed that there was a great political vacuum in the country.