ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz will attend the 13th death anniversary of former premier Benazir Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Sunday (Dec 27), while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has excused himself from attending the event, and instead his party would be represented by a five-member delegation.
Former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari had invited the Pakistan Democratic Movement's leadership to attend the 13th death anniversary of the former prime minister and the PPP's late chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated on December 27, 2007 in Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi, after addressing her party's public rally.
The JUI-F sources said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman would not be able to travel to Naudero because of his other engagements. However, he would be represented by a five-member delegation including party secretary-general Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, and other party leaders including Siraj Ahmed Khan, Abdul Razzaq, and Saud Afzal.
The PML-N would be represented by its vice president Maryam Nawaz, who is already on a two-day visit to Sindh, and would also address the PPP's annual event to commemorate the 13th death anniversary of its slain leader Benazir Bhutto.
In a tweet, Maryam Nawaz ruled out any dialogue with the government following speculations in wake of Functional League's leader Mohammad Ali Durrani's meeting with the PML-N President, Shehbaz Sharif, in Kot Lakhpat jail on Thursday.
"The PDM has decided that no dialogue will be held [with the government]. PML-N's Quaid [Nawaz Sharif] fully support this stance. Therefore, any kind of speculation of "mini or grand dialogue" is meaningless. This "fake and puppet" government will be given no "NRO". This is the decision of the whole nation," Maryam Nawaz tweeted.
Other PDM leaders are also expected to address the event of the Benazir Bhutto's death anniversary, which is also being marked at a time when the 11-party opposition alliance, the PDM is building pressure on Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign amid economic crisis, price hike, and inflation.
In a statement on Saturday, PML-N Secretary-Information Marriyum Aurangzeb lashed out at the government over the sharp increase in the prices of eatables, saying that the government has failed to give any relief to the masses. She maintained that prices of eggs have increased to Rs300 per dozen in many parts of the country, while a liter of cooking oil had spiked to Rs320. "The "selected" Prime Minister, Imran Khan, should not take notice of this hike because every time he takes notice, he makes things worse and the prices soar even further," she added.
She pointed out that when the PML-N left the government in 2018, cooking oil was being sold at Rs180 per liter while during the current government; the price of cooking oil has reached Rs300 in the polybag and Rs320 in bottle.
She added that three months ago it was Rs260 per liter, and two weeks ago Rs280.
In 2018, she added that eggs were being sold at Rs84 per dozen and in the tenure of the "Sadiq and Amin", the prices of this commodity has reached Rs300 per dozen.
"After filling up the pockets of the sugar, wheat, flour, electricity, gas, and medicines mafia, Imran Khan is now bagging commission on these items. This has become a routine business of the current rulers," she alleged. She asked the people not to be worried, as "the days of this "imposed, selected" government are numbered, and they would be sent back to their home soon."
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020