Horse-trading: PM slams ‘money-bought’ chairmanship in Senate

Says people will elect their new government in July

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has criticised the Senate elections in which the ruling party suffered defeat despite its overall majority in the House, saying how the country could earn respect in the world with “this kind of Senate elections that were contest through the power of money”.

“An election where votes were sold and purchased got us a chairman who was not known in the political circles before. It is sad to have such a person as chairman of the Senate, an institution that represents the federation,” he said on Saturday.

The PM was addressing two separate functions – one on the inauguration of the first CCV line and aluminum alloy manufacturing plant at Lahore’s Sunder Industrial Estate and the other on the opening of Rai Mansab Ali Khan Kharal Bridge built on River Ravi at Nankana Sahib.

The PM said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) always stood on guard for the democratic system, facing all conspiracies and dharna-driven politics during the last five years and successfully delivered on all its promises.

“There is a need to elect a consensus candidate as the Senate reflects the federation,” he urged.



Responding to a recent statement of Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid whereby he called for a ‘judicial martial law’ prior to the coming general elections, Abbasi said democratic system in the country would keep flourishing.

“There is no room for a judicial martial law or any other coup. In the upcoming general election in July, only the electorate will decide about the fate of the next government and their decision will be accepted,” he said.

“We believe in the power of votes, and democracy is the only way forward. It is for the voters to decide who stays in or out of government. The country's journey on the path of development and prosperity will continue,” he added.

Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, Sheikh Rashid had urged the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) to impose a 90-day-long ‘judicial martial law’ in the run-up to the general elections.

However, the CJP on Friday ruled out the possibility, observing there was no room for any judicial martial law in the Constitution. “The Constitution does not allow any such thing,” he had said.

Prime Minister Abbasi, meanwhile, lamented that despite all efforts of the ruling party for democracy, the elected government had to lose its prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, due to the July 28, 2017 verdict of the apex court.

“Those who work [for the country] have to face the courts and get insulted whereas those who don’t work are neither questioned nor insulted. But come what may, our government has decided to tackle every problem head-on and continue to serve the people of this country. Our government will not comprise,” he added.

The PM said the ruling party had accepted the court’s decision and implemented it, “but it is the history that will give its ultimate decision on the court’s verdict. The history has rejected the court’s verdict in Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s case and it will also reject this decision [to disqualify Nawaz Sharif].”

He said when Sharif was disqualified, people thought the ruling party’s government would collapse and its MNAs would not stand by the government but that did not turn out to be the case.

“The government has worked despite all odds and challenges. The specific legal cases, including the one on Panama Papers, eventually brought instability in the country… otherwise it would have been on the path of rapid progress,” he said, asking the voters to understand the significance of all these happenings.

On power production, he said there was no load shedding in the country except in the areas where electricity was being stolen. He said 85 per cent consumers, paying the bills, should not bear burden for the theft.

The PM said in this winter, there had been an uninterrupted gas supply to the domestic consumers, the CNG sector and the industry “which is a big accomplishment for the government”. He said other link roads in the area besides Phool Nagar and Nankana motorway link would be constructed.

He said the development and prosperity journey of the country would continue

Abbasi said the PML-N government faced energy and power challenges and the backlog of the previous governments, but it had solved the energy issues, with the addition of 10,400MW power to the national grid. He said the government had been performing well during its tenure “which is matchless” and resolved the energy issues for the coming 15 years.

He also regretted that after the 1999 coup, a case was registered against PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif for establishment of Sunder Industrial Estate. He said it was an irony that those who served the country were punished instead of giving respect and hounour.

Zafarul Haq likely to stay as leader of house in Senate

He said Pakistan had the huge potential to increase its export products by adhering to global quality and standard which were requisite for global competition.

The government had taken steps for facilitating private-sector investment with different incentives which had led to increase in the business activities and eventually boosted the exports, he said, adding that the investment activities had paved the way for creation of jobs and generation of tax revenues.

The PM said the government had provided gas, power and infrastructure facilities so that the cost of production could be reduced. He laid stress on maintaining the quality and standards in the production by bringing local products on a par with those from international competitors to attract investment.

He called Pakistan is a market for billions of dollars investment, and said issues like tariff rebalance, cost of production and taxation system faced by the industry would be resolved.

He said a tax incentives package would be announced prior to next fiscal budget, and stressed the need for the private sector and the government to work hand in hand to achieve the export target.

"Industries play a vital role in the progress and prosperity of any country,” he said, adding, “We want to ensure stability of policies as continuity of policies is of high importance."

Abbasi hoped that the country's industry would focus on improving quality as “latest technology and efficiency not only help in growing business activities but also help earn good profit”.

Earlier, the PM inaugurated the newly-constructed 612-meter-long Rai Mansab Ali Khan Kharal Bridge on River Ravi.

[WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP]