Wahab fires salvo against PML-N

Fauzia Wahab accuses PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar of playing into the hands of non-democratic forces.

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) central information secretary Fauzia Wahab accused Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan of playing into the hands of non-democratic forces and secretly holding meetings with generals.

Addressing a press conference at the PPP’s media cell, Wahab said that Chaudhry Nisar is trying to make the appointment of the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) chairman controversial. The PPP has not yet decided about the PML-N charge sheet against former president Pervez Musharraf, she added.

For the first time in the history of the country members of the government have to appear in courts and arrange bails while members of the opposition are not only living their lives freely but are also organising gatherings and criticising the government openly, Wahab said. In addition, they are availing state facilities.

Wahab said the there have been no political prisoners or victimisation in the two-and-a-half years of the PPP’s government and its reconciliation policy.

She said that the NAB chairman is responsible for reopening more than 20 cases against the PML-N leaders that were deferred due to their absence from the country. She said these included cases of default of more than one billion rupees, corruption of Rs6.1 billion, Raiwind estate, Hudaibia Paper Mills case and countless cases of tax dodging.

Accusing the media of exaggerating issues, she said that the media are making a fuss about October 13 but many more Octobers will come and that the PPP government does not care about such things.

She also announced a complete boycott of the Jang media group, saying that no PPP minister or office bearer will participate in any of the Jang group’s programmes and nor will any party communiqués will be issued to them. She said that this decision was made by the PPP’s central committee.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2010.