Rashid questions PM’s ability to govern after failing to bring back Nawaz

Former minister says coalition govt could fall anytime as it has a majority of only ‘one vote’

Former federal minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid has taken a swipe at Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying that how could he serve the nation when could not even bring his brother — Nawaz Sharif —back to Pakistan from London in three years.

In November 2019, convicted former premier Nawaz had left the country after he signed a court-approved undertaking, saying that he would return to the country within four weeks. Shehbaz too had signed an undertaking, that stated he would "ensure the return" of his brother "within four weeks or on certification by doctors that he has regained his health and is fit to return back to Pakistan".

In a statement on Monday, the close confidante of PTI Chief Imran Khan said the coalition government led by PML-N could fall anytime as it has a razor-thin majority of only “one vote”.

The time will come soon when the president will ask them for a vote of confidence “which will shatter their imperialist plans,” he added.

Rashid said the government with one vote majority did not have any authority to represent 220 million people of the country.

Referring to coalition partners — PM Shehbaz, Asif Zardari and Maulana Fazlur Rehman – the ex-interior minister said the “three political rats” gave their offspring’s ministries while the poor were dying of load-shedding, inflation and unemployment.

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Rashid said Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was “hired” to suppress the opponents with torture and intimidation.

He added that as the government will further increase the prices of fuel and electricity next month, “people will come to the streets themselves and break the chains of slavery.”

While commenting on recently amended electoral and NAB bills, the former federal minister said that depriving 10 million overseas Pakistanis of their voting right is “national dishonesty because the Supreme Court has already ruled on this matter in 2018”.

“I am going to the Supreme Court to give the right to vote to overseas Pakistanis. Overseas Pakistanis are the only ones who can save democracy from any disaster while the lawmakers are being sold for Rs20 to Rs25 million.”