PML-N wanted to dismantle PTI, claims PPP Punjab chief

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz wanted to dismantle its main rival – the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, but the PPP took a stand in this regard, as it does not believe in such undemocratic practice, the party’s Punjab President, Rana Farooq Saeed, told The Express Tribune.

The PPP, where it wanted those involved in any crime to be punished as per law, there it also wanted political parties to be given a level-playing field.

Farooq said that they had to oppose this mentality of elbowing out rival political parties because if this was allowed once, every other political party after coming to power, would do the same with their rivals.

He said that the PPP had been a subject of such persecution itself in the past.

Asked who expressed this desire from the PML-N to his party and where, Farooq said that party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had taken a position of opposing any ban on the PTI in the government, so this was obvious where and who had expressed his desire.

Further, he said even if one political party was dismantled or dissolved, they would operate under a different name or better still their candidates could contest elections as independent ones.

He said political parties lived and thrived on public support as long as their support in the masses, the party, and its narrative survived.

When asked if he believed that the PTI was being persecuted, Farooq in an evasive answer said that their position regarding free and fair elections was not for any particular political party. “A fair democratic system is what the PPP has always strived for.”

Asked that since all leading parties were already in power, who would contest against whom in the elections, he said that if the PML-N could try and sell their exaggerated performance claims, they too had a lot to tell their electorate.

He said that it was the PPP that had brought Rental Power Plants to Pakistan, but during its era, the courts intervened but the same courts allowed the PML-N to utilise the power generation stream.

“And it are these rental power plants that helped end load shedding in the country.”

He said that Zardari brought CPEC to Pakistan, not Nawaz Sharif, adding that CPEC was an outcome of Zardari’s efforts.

Asked when the assemblies would be dissolved, he said that to their knowledge, the National Assembly would be dissolved on August 8.

When he was informed that Marriyum Aurangzeb, the information minister, denied media reports regarding dissolution of assembly on August 8, he joked that the assemblies would be dissolved on August 14, after completion of tenure.

When asked who would be the caretaker PM according to his understanding, he said a caretaker PM would be a senior politician.

Asked who had the ultimate say in this matter, Farooq said If the caretaker PM was a senior politician, it would mean an elected government would have the final say, however if it’s anyone else – a retired government servant or someone else – it would mean that it was “their choice” alluding to powers that be.

The PPP leader revealed that SAPM Qamar Zaman Kaira said that he did not have any firsthand information of when the assembly would be dissolved, claiming that there wasn’t really an issue either.

When asked if any decision had been taken regarding appointing a senior politician as a caretaker PM, he said that it was their proposal that a senior politician should be made a caretaker PM.

Marriyum did not give any response when communicated over Farooq’s claim.