Poor governance: ‘Hold PA session to discuss law, order’

Rashid says chief minister should tender resignation.

LAHORE:

The government has failed to protect the life and property of the citizens. I demand Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s immediate resignation,” said Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rashid on Saturday.

He was addressing a press conference with provincial assembly members Dr Murad Rass, Mumtaz Maharvi, Sadia Sohail, Ahmed Ali, Shaneela Roat, Rana Sajid and Rana Akthar at Lahore Press Club.

Rashid said the governor should immediately call a session of the Punjab Assembly to discuss the law and order situation in the province.

He said shutting down petrol pumps and placing containers to block roads would not stop the people from protesting.

He said millions of PTI workers had already left for Islamabad to join the Azadi March.

“We will reach Islamabad even if we have to walk,” he said.

He said he had tried to contact the inspector general of Punjab police to ask him to stop harassment of PTI workers.

He said no police official appeared to be willing to hear the complaints of PTI workers.

Commenting on reports of fresh counting of votes in 10 constituencies, Rashid said no talks were being held with the government in this regard.

He said Model Town had been cut off from the rest of the city and access to several districts had been blocked by the road barriers setup by the government. He said the Punjab government said Law Minister Rana Mashood should think twice before pointing fingers. He said the law minister would be held accountable for corruption of millions of rupees in the name of the Punjab Youth Festival.

He said Mashhood should speak of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan with respect.

Rashid said residents of Model Town were being punished by the government for voting PTI. He said the police should release motorbikes impounded by them.

He said if they did not do so, PTI workers would stage sit-ins in outside police stations.

He said the government would be held responsible if those protests got violent.

‘Scores have been held hostage by govt’

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi said on Saturday the government had brought the province to a standstill and held scores of people hostage to disrupt the Youm-i-Shuhada observance by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT).

“Our civilian dictators should tell us how many more people they want to kill,” he told the media at the residence of PAT leader Tahirul Qadri.

PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid Ahmad were also present.

Elahi said the government had placed containers in the streets causing nuisance for citizens.

He said it had created an artificial shortage of fuel. “Even ambulances are not getting fuel.”

“Why is the judiciary silent? It should take notice of the breach of fundamental rights.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2014.