Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid Nawaz Sharif Saturday underscored the need for forming a grand opposition alliance "to get rid of the PPP-led government." "Gone are the days of politics which was based on sheer deception and we welcome the MQM on the opposition benches," he said, while talking to media persons after chairing the meeting of PML-N co-ordination committee Balochistan Saturday.
Sources told Business Recorder that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is proceeding to the UK on a five-day tour is also expected to meet MQM Quaid Altaf Hussain in a bid to form a grand alliance on one-point agenda to remove the incumbent government.
According to the sources, the PML-N leaders are in touch with JUI (F), Jamaat-i-Islami and other parties with a view to materialising the plan of a grand alliance. About the US control on Shamsi airbase, Nawaz said the government should stop hoodwinking the nation. US-led drones are taking off from our own bases and also landing there after hitting the targets, he said, adding: "The government should not keep the people in dark and address all issues."
Regarding the prospects of reconciliation with MQM, Nawaz said: "If Charter of Democracy could be signed with the PPP despite differences, there can be reconciliation with MQM despite reservations." The PML-N leader criticised the PPP-led government for showing indifferent attitude on public issues. "The PML-N raised all national issues in the National Assembly and also talked with the Prime Minister several times, but with no result. Now there must be a grand alliance to get rid of the present government."
He said that the government is not interested in solving common man's problems and this kind of politics is no more tolerable. He added that three years have passed but the government has not been able to resolve any issue. About AJK election, he said there was worst rigging in poll. The funds of Benazir Income Support Programme which were meant for earthquake victims were used ruthlessly in Azad Kashmir elections, he added.
Referring to situation in Balochistan, Nawaz said that people of Balochistan be given justice while missing persons' case should be solved without any further delay. When asked about Chaudhry Shujaat's statement on Abbottabad inquiry, the PML-N leader said that gone are the days of give-and-take kind of politics and that it would not work anymore. "Somebody else had written the statement and otherwise he is used to push issues under the carpet."
Earlier, addressing the meeting of the PML-N Balochistan Co-ordination Committee, Nawaz said that the country's prosperity is linked with peace in Balochistan and PML-N is determined to remove a deepening sense of deprivation among the people of Balochistan. According to him, the PPP government is hindering the transfer of resources to the provinces. Seven ministries were transferred to the province, but the federal government still exerts control over the resources, he added.