PML-N MPs instructed to vote for Gilani

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has instructed the party lawmakers to vote for Pakistan Democratic Movement’s joint candidate Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is contesting the Senate election on general seat, against ruling PTI candidate Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh.

The former prime minister, while chairing a parliamentary party meeting attended by 80 PML-N lawmakers, directed them to reach parliament at 11am today (Wednesday) and vote for Gilani.

Abbasi conveyed a special message from PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and party President Shehbaz Sharif, directing all MPs to stay in Islamabad until the completion of the Senate election process and vote for Gilani.

Talking to media persons after the parliamentary party meeting, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “Now is the time for [Prime Minister] Imran Khan to leave.”

She blamed the ruling party for inflation in the country.

“The parliamentary party meeting discussed the Senate election and the arrest of vote thieves in Daska and demanded that the facts about the abduction of 20 presiding officers be brought to light.”

She said that the opposition leader in the National Assembly was deliberately being kept away from the assembly. “Shehbaz [who is detained by NAB in graft cases] will reach Islamabad tonight [Tuesday] and cast his vote on Wednesday [today].” NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had issued production orders for detained lawmakers last month, saying that everyone has the right to vote. They were supposed to reach Islamabad by Tuesday night.

Marriyum said that the government was still in power due to the support of the coalition parties. “If the coalition leaves, the government will fall.”

She said that Shehbaz, Khawaja Asif and Khursheed Shah would come to the assembly.