No intention to topple Punjab govt: Taseer

ISLAMABAD (Agencies) - Punjab Governor Salman Taseer Sunday said that he has no intention to disintegrate provincial government and Shahbaz Sharif has the right to run the affairs of the provincial government as long as he is the Chief Minister. In an interview to a private television channel, the Punjab Governor said that he has no personal grudge with the Sharif brothers and has even shown readiness to visit Raiwind. Taseer said that he has made no interference in the affairs of Punjab Government and he keeps himself confined to his constitutional role only. He has concerns over some steps of provincial government the Governor said adding but he follows the legal and constitutional course to convey these concerns. He said that delay in appointments of Chairman of Provincial Public Accounts Committee, leader of the Opposition, attacks on high court are some of the issues on which the provincial government should rethink its approach. He said that Prosecutor General should be appointed, but he said, he had not suggested any name in this regard. To a query, the Governor said that he was not posing any hurdle about Audit General report regarding alleged corruption of local bodies representatives. He said that if the Auditor General report was approved, then action should certainly be taken against the culprits. The Governor Sulman Taseer said that expenditures of annual development plan have not yet been defined adding the coalition partners have not been given the due share in the provincial government. Sulman Taseer said that he has conveyed his concerns to Punjab Chief Minister through a letter. He brushed aside the allegation that he was trying to bridge between the PPP and PML-Q members. In response the Chief Minister said that he was doing right things in his opinion, he added. 'I don't have any intension against the provincial government', he said adding that President Asif Zardari had never asked him to do any thing regarding Punjab government. He further said that he was trying to work for people of the province by joining hands with the CM. 'The sitting Punjab system, I hope, would gain a betterment'. He said that large scale transfers of public servants are made in the province frequently by ignoring the consultation of coalition partners. To a question the Governor said that he had never been involved in any conspiracy against the provincial government and he will never do the same in future. "I have never thought about any charge sheet against the government because such move is made only to topple the government", he said adding there are no such conditions in the province. He however said that being the Governor he has the right to meet with the politicians belonging to all the political parties including the PML-N. To another question he said that Mian Shahbaz Sharif has the right to run the governance affairs of province as long as he remains the Chief Minister. If by losing the support of MPs or through some judicial process Shahbaz Sharif is rendered disqualified, "I should not be held responsible for it," the Governor said.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt