No deal struck between govt, PPP on Senate opposition slot: Sarwar

Minister says accountability process will continue without discrimination

RAWALPINDI:

Federal Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan has clarified that there is no deal between the government and the PPP, saying that despite the arrival of the PPP opposition leader in the Senate, all will continue to be held accountable without any discrimination.

“We are saying from day one that the PDM is a bunch of blackmailers who are pressuring the government and institutions for an NRO,” the aviation minister said while addressing a news conference at the PTI Secretariat on Saturday.

Sarwar said now that the PPP has parted ways with the PDM, the latter parties should support the government on national issues in parliament.

He urged the media to take the people out of the drama of PDM. “They [opposition] want to spread unrest in the country, which is a poison for societies.”

“The PPP received votes from the Jamaat-e-Islami, the Awami National Party (ANP) and four independents. The ruling PTI has no involvement in this,” Sarwar said, adding that Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani is being accused of backdoor contact with the PPP to create suspicion.

“The whole nation knows that the PDM parties are not sincere with each other.”

Firing a broadside at the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Sarwar said that internal differences in the PML-N have also intensified.

Sarwar gave the example of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, saying that Bhutto went to the gallows but did not put pressure on the courts. ZAB was executed in 1979.

“Attacking courts and accountability institutions is political terrorism. These people [PML-N] clashed with the courts and now they are going to repeat it.”

In the 1990s, he said, the PML-N thugs were brought in government buses and the Supreme Court was attacked, adding that “the PML-N is a political terrorist group”. “We condemn this thinking.”

He claimed that now, there were two groups within the PML-N, saying that the line of Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz is different and that of Maryam Nawaz is different.

“Now, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has found out and scolded Maryam to learn politics from Hamza.”

On the Senate elections, Sarwar said the PTI's one point was that the Senate election should be held through open ballot. “The dirty politics of the Senate made the politicians dirty as the conscience of the people was bought.”

On probe into last year’s petroleum crisis, the minister said that the Federal Investigation Agency was conducting a detailed inquiry.

“The first action has been taken as the State Bank is being moved towards full autonomy,” he said, adding that an assembly session has been called on the 29th and the opposition should give its opinion.