ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif once again invited the opposition to sit with the government to sort out the issues and take the country forward on the path of development.

The prime minister himself went to Opposition Leader Omar Ayub and Asad Qaisar and did a handshake with them.

Responding to the points raised by Ali Muhammad Khan on cut motions in the National Assembly Wednesday, the prime minister offered negotiations to the opposition while speaking on the floor of the house.

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“Let us sit together to take the country ahead. Let us talk for the betterment of the country. There is no other way forward,” the prime minister said.

The prime minister regretted that his repeated offers for the Charter of Economy (CoE) following the 2018 elections were never responded in a positive manner.

Reflecting on the 2018 elections, the prime minister said, “We joined the Parliament despite the (rigged) polls. Slogans were raised during my first speech as opposition leader and I offered Charter of Economy (CoE) but at that time the government did not give a positive response.”

He said, “If Imran Khan has problems in jail, so let’s sit and talk.”

Sharif extended an offer to discuss the economy again, questioning who is responsible for the current bitterness that has prevented even the simplest of gestures like shaking hands.

The prime minister recounted his own time in jail, sharing that he was denied leave when his mother passed away. He said that despite being a cancer survivor and with a backbone issue, he used to be taken to courts on the ordinary prison van just to exacerbate the condition, but he never complained.

Prime Minister Shehbaz said that other PML-N leaders also faced humiliating treatment despite being under-trial prisoners. He said that we including Khawaja Asif and Rana Sanaullah were sleeping on the floor of the room of jail. But he said, having faced all the victimisation, he would never desire his political adversaries to face a similar situation.

Highlighting the distinction between the rights of under-trial and convicted prisoners, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to avoid subjecting Imran Khan to similar mistreatment.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024