Khursheed Shah warns govt of ‘real opposition’

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Thursday complained that the government called a session on opposition’s call but wrapped up discussion in its absence.

He resented the government’s acts while addressing participants of the assembly in a session called by Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi.

Shah warned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government, saying that the ruling party would get to know what ‘real opposition’ actually is if his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) launched a protest outside the Parliament.

“Unfortunately, federal ministers on one hand score political points and on the other abuse their status,” he said.

On Wednesday, Shah had offered opposition’s support to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in case there was a threat to democracy in the country.

Commenting on Prime Minister Sharif’s recent statement in which he complained about less control over state affairs compared to his 1991 government, the opposition leader said that PM Nawaz should have made these comments in the Parliament.

Earlier on February 7, the opposition leader termed the premier as innocent and suggested him to give Rs300 billion to the employees of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) for its betterment.

It should be mentioned here that Shah had offered to play a mediator’s role between the government and PIA’s workers before they ended weeks-long strike that grounded flights across the country costing billions of rupees.

He had proposed PM Nawaz to utilize funds allocated for Orange Line project for betterment of the national airline.