LAHORE - Joint Opposition in the Punjab Assembly has failed to shortlist names for the office of caretaker Punjab Chief Minister in its meeting held here on Wednesday.
Opposition Leader Mian Mahmoodur Rashid chaired the meeting which was attended by Faiza Malik of the PPP, Waqas Mokal of the PML-Q and Dr Wasim Akhtar of the Jamaat-e-Islami.
The representatives of the PPP and the PML-Q informed the meeting that their leadership had not yet informed them about the names for the office of caretaker Chief Minister.
Dr Wasim Akhtar of JI, however, presented the names of former Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Justice Mian Allah Nawaz, former Federal Secretary, Safdar Mehmood and former Federal Secretary Khizar Hayat Gondal for the coveted slot.
Mian Mehmoodur Rashid mentioned the names of former Finance Minister Shahid Kardar and ex-IG Balochistan Tariq Khosa as the most suitable candidates to fill the office of caretaker Chief Minister in Punjab.
But the meeting ended without developing consensus on two names since the representatives of the PPP and the PML-Q sought time to short-list their nominees.
They insisted that the matter should be deferred till the time their leaders convey them certain names.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Senator Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar yesterday said that Minar-e-Pakistan rally will be held on April 28th at any cost.
He was addressing a Press conference at Chairman Secretariat regarding mobilisation of party workers for the public meeting.
Members of mobilisation Committee including Sadia Sohail, Sheikh Imtiaz, Naeem Ul Haq, Dr. Shahid Siddique, Naveed Ansari, Rizwana Ghazanfar, Owais Younus and others were present on the occasion.
Ch Sarwar said that PTI had sought permission from government for its Minar e Pakistan rally but the same had not been granted under the pretext of security situation.
“Jalsa (rally) will be held at any cost irrespective of whether or not we get the official approval.” he said, adding, that it was responsibility of government to provide security for the party gathering.
Asked why the PTI chief cut short his Lahore visit and left for Islamabad on Tuesday, he replied that Imran Khan had some compelling engagements at Banigala. “He assigned me the duty to address worker’s camps set up in different areas of the walled City”, he added.
He said that his party had launched awareness campaign regarding Minar e Pakistan rally from Lahore.
“Publicity of Lahore Jalsa will be done in schools, colleges, universities and shopping malls.”, he said.
Answering a question, he said that PTI did not need election alliance with any of the political parties because all their electables had already joined Khan’s party.
Replying to a question about internal strife in the PTI, Sarwar said that warring party leaders had agreed to ceasefire and now there was no question of any internal rifts.
To a question about the controversy over his election as Senator, he said that he had provided all the details of Senate election to the Election Commission votes and if the PML-N had still any doubts, their leadership should pinpoint the defectors and send their case to the ECP. “Why don’t they take action against them”, he asked.
Answering another question, he said that whenever the powerful persons are held accountable, they take refuge in hospitals in guise of illness. But in the new Pakistan, the PTI is struggling to make, no dacoit politician will be allowed to move from prison to hospital under this guise, he stated. “This will not happen in new Pakistan”, he observed.
