Playing politics: Muqam asks Imran to take stock of party post ‘forward bloc’

Says PML-N will nevertheless refrain from destabalising K-P govt with ‘un-democratic’ ways.

PESHAWAR:

Senior vice president of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Amir Muqam has said his party wants to do away with the culture of horse trading and does not want to destabilise the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government.

Addressing a news conference at his residence in Peshawar on Monday, Muqam said, “We could easily have formed a coalition government in K-P after the general elections but we gave the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a chance to form the government for being the majority party in the province”.



He said the PML-N respects the mandate given to PTI, adding, “During difficult times for PTI (emergence of a forward bloc), we will not opt for non-parliamentary and undemocratic ways.”

During the May 11 general elections, PTI won 30 seats in the K-P Assembly while a split mandate was shared by other political parties with PTI in the slight majority. “Imran Khan should evaluate the performance of his party in the wake of the formation of a forward bloc,” said the former MNA from Shangla who is also an adviser to the prime minister.

Muqam said PTI’s own elected representatives talk about poor governance in K-P and the one-man show in the party.

“All these things should be an eye-opener for Imran,” he said.

Lamenting the withdrawal of security from PML-N leaders of Swat, he alleged the orders came from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat owing to the tough contest between PTI and PML-N over the upcoming by-polls in Swat’s PK-86 this month.

He said PML-N is of the view that justice was not being served to the people of tribal areas and they were being discriminated against, adding that tribal people should be considered equal to other citizens of the country.

“The people of Fata should decide whether they want an independent assembly for themselves or be part of the K-P Assembly.”

He said PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif is focused on peace in the country and is monitoring the negotiations between the Taliban and the government on a personal level. Muqam also said it has been decided in principle to change the governor of K-P but he did not reveal the candidate’s name.

At the occasion, Noshad Khan, a political figure from Bajaur Agency, announced he was joining the PML-N along with his colleagues.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2014.