LAHORE - Former prime minister of the last PPP government, Raja Pervez Ashraf, yesterday said his party had no objection to talks with the PTI in the national interest.
Talking to media persons after appearing before the accountability court here, the former prime minister said PPP never denied relations to others. He said PPP always watched interests of the country. If the national interests warrant, there was no harm in sitting with the PTI, Raja Pervez Ashraf said, answering a question precisely asked about the PPP option of talks with the PTI. He said the PPP wanted timely elections and a strong democratic system in the country.
To a question about the continuity of the PML-N government, he said first the government should be seen existing and then continuity of talks. He said what to say about a government which does not have a finance minister while the NA speaker is expressing serious concerns about the fate of the assemblies. He said when a speaker speaks against his own government it means he is losing his utility. However, he said despite all that they wanted next elections on time.
To a question on the change of loyalties in PPP, he said it does not make any difference for the party if any person quits or joins it.
KAIRA FIRES BROADSIDE AT NA SPEAKER’S FEARS
Staff Reporter from Sahiwal adds: PPP Central Punjab president Qamar Zaman Kaira flayed National Assembly (NA) Speaker Ayaz Sadiq on the latter’s statement that he "does not see the [incumbent] assembly completing its tenure”.
Kaira said that National Assembly speaker must take all parliamentary parties into "confidence" and "explain and clarify" his position that from which "quarters" he being speaker felt pressure in saying that the assembly may be dissolved premature.
Qammar Zaman Kaira, PPP, Central Punjab President was talking to media at Sahiwal bypass the other day. He said for last many months, central leadership of the PML-N has been hinting indirectly to "establishment" for their ouster and now Ayaz Sadiq is saying same in "symbols", metaphors and similes. He said Speaker Office is the "custodian of house" and his office demand impartiality and in case speaker smells something odd, he must share it with all parliamentary parties.
He said Raza Rabbani is running Senate and Mr Sadiq's predecessor Ms Fahmida Riaz ran the National Assembly with impartiality and it is Ayaz turn to be impartial and tell who is hatching conspiracies against parliamentary system. He strongly denied the impression that PPP is going into any election alliance with any political or religious party. He clarified that Tahirul Qadri had contacted PPP regarding opening up of Justice Najfi report and Mr Zardari responded to his personal call. "There is no election alliance with any one in Punjab", he categorically said. We support Pakistan Awami Tehreek's (PAT) demands because its demands are within the ambit of the Constitution. He said the PPP supports the PAT's demand that Justice Najfi report had exposed the role of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in killing of innocent people in Model Town, Lahore. Therefore the CM and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah must resign from their executive posts.
Mr Kaira reminded media that Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) was formed by late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan in collaboration with Nusrat Bhutto and at that time Tahirul Qadri was not only part of the GDA but he supported its pro-democratic stance and struggle.
Earlier, Qamar Zaman Kaira reached Sahiwal from Lahore in a procession. He was received by Zaki Chaudhry, PPP district president, Mehr Ghulam Farid Kathiya, member central executive and Shafqat Javed, a PPP activist. Later, the procession moved to attend PPP's power show held in Multan.