Don't wish to oust govt through unconstitutional means: Khawaja Asif

• Asif says he agrees with Shahid Khaqan Abbasi because potential candidate for prime minister's position is Shahbaz Sharif.
• Says maintaining federal identity is in the interest of the country.
• Says incumbent government has fallen itself under its own weight. 

LAHORE: Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif on Tuesday said that this party does not wish to oust the ruling PTI government through "unconstitutional means".

Speaking during Geo News' programme "Capital Talk", Asif said that his party's manifesto of "vote ko izzat do" (respect the vote) is an ideology based on performance. 

The leader also shed light on Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's statement about Maryam Nawaz not being eligible for the position of prime minister and said that he agrees with him as the potential candidate for the position is Shahbaz Sharif.

"Abbasi had issued the statement in light of the ground realities," he said, adding that while Maryam is the future of the party and holds a respectable position therein as when she started her political career, her father, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, was undergoing difficult circumstances. 

He went on to say that Maryam's statements are always reflective of the ongoing situation, therefore, it is natural of her to react to her father's ordeals.

The PML-N leader then talked about the country's political milieu as well as the ousting of the incumbent PTI government and said that in his view, the next general elections will take place in the first half of 2022. 

"We do not believe in ousting the PTI government through unconstitutional means," he said, adding that all constitutional procedures must be used in order to remove the government.

"Maintaining federal identity is in the interest of the country," Asif said.

He also added that the incumbent government has fallen itself under its own weight. 

Criticising Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said that Nawaz Sharif did not receive the same standards of justice from the country which has been enjoyed by the premier. 

"If such injustice continues to prevail in the country, no one would surrender before the law," he said, adding that people can only be expected to abide by the law when justice is uniform for everyone.