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PM not allowed to offer deal to any party, taunts Kaira

By Our Staff Reporter 2019-02-05
LAHORE: PPP Punjab President Qamar Zaman Kaira has denied the reports of any deal between the opposition parties with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government.

Answering a query during a press conference here on Monday, he rejected the proposition that the PML-N was striking any deal with the government and termed the talk about it only propaganda by some ministers. He said if the PPP or the PML-N were striking a deal, then those talking of it should reveal the second party of the agreement.

`The incumbent prime minister is not in a position to offer any deal as those who installed him didn`t empower him in this respect,` said Mr Kaira who was flanked by Chaudhry Manzoor, Malik Usman and Hassan Murtaza.

Referring to hospitalisation of for-mer Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the PPP leader said the PML-N leader deserved proper healthcare. He said if Mr Sharif could be shifted to the Services Hospital why he could not be shifted to the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) as the ex-premier was suffering from heart ailments.

The PPP leader regretted that neither Prime Minister Imran Khan nor had Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar yet visited the f amilies of the Sahiwal shooting victims to condole with them.

He lamented that the PM did come to Lahore last weekend but did not bother to condole with the victim f amilies whereas the CM also didn`t visit them despite being in the provincial capital. He advised the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government to apply balm to the wounds of the victims instead of taking a wrong stand on the tragedy.

The former federal minister wondered why the government was now backtracking from the judicial commission promise made by none other than the prime minister himself for aneutral investigation into the Sahiwal incident.

`Why should the judicial commission not be set up? Why shouldn`t the heirs of the innocent victims of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) firing not provided with justice?` Mr Kaira held the government policies responsible for retrenchments in the media, saying the rulers were attempting to control and gag the media so that it could not criticise their policies.

Responding to a query, Mr Kaira said that the federal government couldn`t improve its tax collection but was trying to rob the federating units of their powers to collect the general sales tax (GST) on services and agriculture tax. He said the PPP leadership would raise a voice for the 18th Amendment at all forums and won`t allow anyone to withdraw devolution process.

The PPP leader announced that the party would set up a camp in Lahore and take out rallies on Feb 5 (today) to show solidarity with the Kashmiris fighting to win their right to franchise in the India-held Kashmir.