95pc of MNAs, 159 Punjab MPAs handed in resignations: Maryam

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Saturday insisted there would be no negotiations with the government and said she had received 159 out of 160 resignations of lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly and “95 per cent of the National Assembly”.

Speaking to reporters before departing for Sukkur, Maryam said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was firm on the government not receiving any concessions from the opposition, which she termed an “NRO”, similar to what the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government says the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is after.

“There is consensus within all parties of the PDM that there will not be any sort of dialogue with the government. PTI’s offer to negotiate is equivalent to seeking an NRO,” she said. The PML-N leader also said PTI was trying “through several means” to initiate dialogue with the opposition.

“Several ministers—even before [Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s Mohammad] Ali Durrani—offered us to hold a dialogue. Now they are trying other means to negotiate, but they should know that their time is up,” she added.

Maryam said Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif was in jail “only because he is loyal to this country and his brother Nawaz Sharif”. “Shahbaz Sharif would have been prime minister if he were disloyal to his brother. It is their misconception that they would divide PML-N,” she said.

On resignations of lawmakers, Maryam said she had received 159 out of 160 resignations of PML-N lawmakers in Punjab. “The decision whether to take part in elections or not will be decided by PDM mutually. We will decide on by-elections in the beginning of January. The Party will submit resignations to the speaker as soon as a final decision is taken over it,” she added.