Appointments: PPP, PML-N trade barbs over ECP delay

Babar Awan and Khurram Dastgir pass the buck to each other.

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has described the delay in the appointment of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the passage of the accountability bill as an ‘utter administrative failure’ on the part of the government.

The ruling PPP had tried to shift the blame for the delay on the PML-N.

“I see it as an utter administrative and intellectual bankruptcy on the government’s part,” said Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan of the PML-N on Sunday.

The Accountability Bill is pending in the National Assembly for over two years and the ECP is also awaiting appointments and both the parties are holding each other responsible for the delay.

Earlier in the day, three key representatives of the PPP – Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Information Secretary of the PPP Qamar Zaman Kaira and former law minister Babar Awan – had censured the PML-N for allegedly misleading the masses to provoke them against the government.

In addition, Babar Awan held the PML-N responsible for creating hurdles in adoption of a unanimous resolution by the parliament and delay in ECP appointments. Awan had referred to a recent statement by the Leader of the Opposition, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in which he had opposed the nominations floated by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

“We will oppose the government tooth and nail in the passage of finance bill,” Khan said when asked about his party’s strategy during the budget session of the Parliament. “Last year, we had introduced 71 amendments in the finance bill, and will give the government a tough time again,” he said

The PML-N is in the process of evolving a decisive protest plan and Chaudhry Nisar is scheduled to meet other opposition leaders in the Parliament here on Monday (today), he said.

Khurram Dastgir said the government had to take the initiative, but they “are outsourcing governance”.

“The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is (actually) devising the (country’s) economic policies whereas defence and foreign policy guidelines were being given by the army,” he explained.

“It is unfortunate and shocking…when I, as a citizen, observe that we have the most incompetent government at the most crucial time in the country’s history,” he added.

Appreciating the PPP for being “good negotiators”, at least when it “comes to making alliances”, Khan said that it was incompetent when it came to governance.

Raja Zafarul Haq of the PML-N rejected the PPP’s assertions and said that his party would press the government to honour its commitments.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2011.