PML-N outraged at allegations that it set its own offices on fire
Blames the government for ‘victimising’ its workers.
HYDERABAD:
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has reacted strongly against an inquiry report that suggests that the alleged arson attacks on their Sindh offices were staged by the party itself.
“The police should avoid becoming a tool to settle political scores,” PML-N’s MNA Ahsan Iqbal remarked while referring to the statements given by at least three police officers who refuted the party’s arson claims.
Following PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif’s fiery speech in Lahore, nine of the party’s offices across Sindh were allegedly torched between October 29 and 30. The party also claims that its workers have been persecuted for what it says is retaliation by the Pakistan Peoples Party’s ‘Zardari group’ to their ‘Go Zardari, go’ rally in Lahore. The party’s legislators have submitted an adjournment motion with the National Assembly that will be discussed in the next session.
The Sindh government initiated a probe into the attacks and directed the DIG of Sukkur to submit a report. The DIG said that no PML-N offices were set on fire in Sukkur, Ghotki and Naushero Feroz, there was no evidence of foul play and no witness reports existed either. Instead, the report suggested that the PML-N had orchestrated the incidents in an attempt to frame prominent parliamentarians belonging to the PPP.
On Thursday, MNA Ahsan Iqbal and MNA Iqbal Zafar Jhagra held a press conference to assert their opinion that the PPP’s “oppressive” tactics proved that the ruling party was Pervez Musharraf’s dream ‘B team’. “The ensemble of the ruling party and its allies is what the dictator had envisaged for his policies to continue,” alleged Iqbal.
Iqbal accused the PPP of creating obstacles for workers joining the party in Sindh. He cited the case of Maqbool Ahmed Shah, saying the government had resurrected old cases about him when he joined the PML-N from Benazirabad district. However, the party claimed that they have withstood political victimisation from Musharraf and would deal with the PPP in Sindh.
“The PPP has been holding Sindh hostage for 40 years while the MQM is doing the same with the cities that are being given the gifts of extortion and target killings,” said Iqbal.
He said the MQM’s rally in favour of Zardari was hypocritical. “Zulfiqar Mirza and other PPP leaders have unleashed the worst criticism on the MQM but the party never rallied against them,” he said.
Jhagra felt that Sindh was going through change as a number of people were growing disgruntled with the government. According to him, the two parties - PPP and MQM - are not delivering.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2011.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has reacted strongly against an inquiry report that suggests that the alleged arson attacks on their Sindh offices were staged by the party itself.
“The police should avoid becoming a tool to settle political scores,” PML-N’s MNA Ahsan Iqbal remarked while referring to the statements given by at least three police officers who refuted the party’s arson claims.
Following PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif’s fiery speech in Lahore, nine of the party’s offices across Sindh were allegedly torched between October 29 and 30. The party also claims that its workers have been persecuted for what it says is retaliation by the Pakistan Peoples Party’s ‘Zardari group’ to their ‘Go Zardari, go’ rally in Lahore. The party’s legislators have submitted an adjournment motion with the National Assembly that will be discussed in the next session.
The Sindh government initiated a probe into the attacks and directed the DIG of Sukkur to submit a report. The DIG said that no PML-N offices were set on fire in Sukkur, Ghotki and Naushero Feroz, there was no evidence of foul play and no witness reports existed either. Instead, the report suggested that the PML-N had orchestrated the incidents in an attempt to frame prominent parliamentarians belonging to the PPP.
On Thursday, MNA Ahsan Iqbal and MNA Iqbal Zafar Jhagra held a press conference to assert their opinion that the PPP’s “oppressive” tactics proved that the ruling party was Pervez Musharraf’s dream ‘B team’. “The ensemble of the ruling party and its allies is what the dictator had envisaged for his policies to continue,” alleged Iqbal.
Iqbal accused the PPP of creating obstacles for workers joining the party in Sindh. He cited the case of Maqbool Ahmed Shah, saying the government had resurrected old cases about him when he joined the PML-N from Benazirabad district. However, the party claimed that they have withstood political victimisation from Musharraf and would deal with the PPP in Sindh.
“The PPP has been holding Sindh hostage for 40 years while the MQM is doing the same with the cities that are being given the gifts of extortion and target killings,” said Iqbal.
He said the MQM’s rally in favour of Zardari was hypocritical. “Zulfiqar Mirza and other PPP leaders have unleashed the worst criticism on the MQM but the party never rallied against them,” he said.
Jhagra felt that Sindh was going through change as a number of people were growing disgruntled with the government. According to him, the two parties - PPP and MQM - are not delivering.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2011.