LAHORE - Opposition parties yesterday rejected the government notifications on Dawn leaks issue and called for making the entire inquiry report public.
With the same voice, PTI, PPP, Jamaat-e-Islami, PML-Q, Pakistan Awami Tehreek and others also reiterated their demand for the prime minister’s resignation.
The demand was, however, flatly rejected by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during a public meeting at Okara.
Political observers say the political situation once again emerged very complex and created a major divide in the society, which could bring more disaster in the coming days.
The opposition parties’ demand for the PM’s resignation or threats for a strong agitation came after the Panama leaks verdict by the Supreme Court, but it gained more momentum following the government’s notification on the Dawn leaks inquiry.
Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Senator Sirajul Haq rejected the government’s notification on Dawn leaks probe and said only weak persons were being made scapegoats on an issue of national security.
In a statement issued from Mansoora, he said the leaks issue was of immense importance for the national security, so the whole truth must come out. He asserted the leader of the official team should have been conscious of his responsibilities in this respect. He said that unless and until accountability was begun from the top, the affairs of the state could not be set right.
He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who had gifted corruption, poverty and loadshedding to the nation had the only option which is to resign so that investigations against the ruling family could be carried out in a transparent and independent atmosphere. He said the nation wanted to see the corrupt elite behind bars. He said if accountability was not done even by the Supreme Court, the people would hold the accountability of the corrupt on roads and streets.
He alleged PPP had plundered the public money and now the PML-N government had broken all records of corruption. He said it was the time that the nation should stand united against the corrupt elements to bring them to accountability and recover the plundered wealth from them.
PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and senior leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi condemned the government notification on the Dawn leaks. Both the leaders termed the move an attempt to save the Sharifs’ empire which, according to them, had lost it ground. They said the days of Sharifs were numbered and their departure was written on the wall.
PAT Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri criticised the government for fooling the people and the military establishment on the issue. He said the government must pack up now as it had badly been exposed before the public. He underlined the need of unity among the opposition parties to start a united move against Sharifs.
PPP central leader Qamar Zaman Kaira held a party meeting in Lahore and discussed the strategy for the party’s 4th May protest. The PPP leader demanded the PM’s resignation in the wake of Panama leaks verdict and also rejected the notification of the government on the Dawn leaks inquiry. The meeting which was attended by Ch Manzoor Ahmed, Naveed Chaudhry and other leaders also vowed to hold protest against power loadshedding at Minar-e-Pakistan.
PTI leader Ch Sarwar said the notification on the security leaks had exposed the ill will of the government. Instead of making the report public, the government wanted to put it on backburner. He said PTI rejected the proposals and demanded strict action against those responsible for it. The former Punjab governor also reiterated the demand of the PM’s resignation and said PTI would launch a massive protest camping for the purpose.