PML-N MPA denies violating party discipline

Nishat Daha drew leadership’s ire for meeting Buzdar, criticising Sharifs

LAHORE: MPA Nishat Ahmad Daha, one of the six PML-N MPAs whose party membership was suspended for meeting Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, maintained on Saturday that he had not violated the party discipline.

“Holding a meeting with the chief minister for the betterment of our constituency is not a violation of the party discipline,” said the Punjab Assembly lawmaker, who also seems to have drawn ire of the party leadership for aggressively criticising the PML-N top leaders – Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif – in his recent media interactions.

Daha and the five other PML-N MPAs were issued show-cause notices by the party Friday to submit an explanation within seven days. After their meeting with Buzdar, the CM’s office issued a statement according to which the MPAs “reposed their complete trust in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and announced continuing lending their unconditional support to the government.”

However, Daha was the only one who was also asked to respond to his criticism of the party leadership.

“My criticism was valid. Why are the PML-N leaders not leading the party in these tough times? We are not minions and should not be treated as sacrificial animals,” he said. “Even the return of Maryam Nawaz to political landscape is for personal gain. There is an understanding and she won’t come out again.”

The MPA maintained that he has spoken in the best interest of the party.

On March 10, six PML-N MPAs and one PPP MPA met the Punjab CM. The PML-N MPAs included Daha, Muhammad Ghias-ud-Din, Ch Ashraf Ali, Muhammad Faisal Khan Niazi, Muhammad Arshad, Azhar Abbas and Yunis Ali Ansari.  MPA Ghazanfar Ali Khan of the PPP also met Buzdar.

The statement issued by the CM’s office gave the impression that there was a forward bloc in the PML-N. However, the six MPAs clarified that they had not reached the Punjab CM’s office in the form of a group.

The meeting, they added, was to take up the development issues of their constituencies. Of the six MPAs, only Muhammad Arshad has responded to the show-cause notice.

According to sources, the MPA has apologised and explained that he had only met the CM for issues related to his constituency.

The sources added that of the six parliamentarians, only Daha seemed to be in trouble as he had bashed the party leadership.

Others are likely to be spared but Daha will be dealt with differently.

The party leadership has taken strict notice of his statements and intends to take strict action against him to ensure other members do not follow suit.