I have severe reservations with PTI: Yar Muhammad Rind

QUETTA/SUKKUR: Special Assistant to Prime Minister Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind said on Tuesday that he had severe reservations with the ruling PTI, complaining that he was never consulted on important matters.

“I am the parliamentary leader of the PTI, but I am never consulted on any important matter,” said Rind while speaking to a private TV channel. “Despite being a member of the cabinet, the prime minister doesn't give me five minutes for a meeting,” he complained.

He said Balochistan is being unjustly treated when it comes to the Senate elections. He said there is no representation of the province in the parliamentary board of the party.

The PTI leader lashed out at Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, questioning his relationship with the PTI. “Who is Sadiq Sanjrani to take (important decisions),” he asked. “We are worthless when compared to Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan,” he complained.

“The Senate elections will have repercussions for the entire country. I cannot say what will happen (during the elections),” he said. Meanwhile, a senior PTI leader, former CM Sindh Liaquat Ali Jatoi, while addressing a press conference in Dadu alleged that the PTI leadership had given the Senate ticket to Saifullah Abro against Rs350 million, while the PTI had not set up a parliamentary board to distribute the Senate tickets.

Liaquat Jatoi accused the Sindh governor behind the wrong decisions of awarding party's Senate tickets in the province against money. He said that Abro had joined the PTI six months ago and he had no contribution to the party.

Liaquat Jatoi said that Haleem Adil Shaikh was flying high, and that CM Murad Ali Shah was not behind the attack on him. He said that Shaikh managed such a drama himself. He said that he had political differences with Murad Ali Shah and the PPP, but never had any personal quarrel. He said that Haleem Adil should be asked about what he was saying.

Liaquat Jatoi said that if Imran Khan would not take notice of his concerns, then he will chalk out his political strategy on February 26 after consulting with the party workers and friends. He said the party gave importance to those who joined it through parachute. He said that the central leadership of PTI was ignoring Sindh PTI leaders.

When asked whether he had decided to join the PPP, he replied that when he was the chief minister of Sindh, he had taken good care of Asif Ali Zardari. Earlier, KP MPAs Liaquat Khattak and Sultan Muhammad Khan had already expressed reservations over not being invited to the KP MPAs meeting chaired by Imran Khan in Peshawar.

Meanwhile, issuing a strong rebuttal to Liaquat Jatoi's onslaught, the PTI Senate candidate Saifullah Abro said that he is filing a defamation suit against the former.

Responding to the allegation, Saifullah Abro in a televised message told Jatoi that he is serving a Rs2 billion defamation suit against him and now they will meet in the courts. Claiming himself to be hailing from the middle class, the PTI Senate candidate rubbished the charges levelled by Liaquat Ali Jatoi and said that he is PTI's candidate for the Senate on the 'technical seat'. He said the former CM has been running a defamation campaign against him for a long time. Addressing Jatoi, the Senate's candidate said he is sending a Rs2 billion defamation notice to him and "now the onus now lies with him to prove the absurd charges in the court of law."

Abro's legal notice demands Jatoi to bring to surface and show to the public any proof that he has to prove his point. "Your statement is based upon political grudge as my client in a shortest period has worked for the welfare of the people of Sindh as well as of Pakistan and you due to political jealousy have made such false statement against my client which defamed my client in public at large," reads the notice.

Jatoi has been advised to tender an apology "in the same manner as you made the false statements, through print as well as electronic media". He must pay Rs2 billion as damages within 14 days of receipt of the legal notice otherwise legal proceedings will be initiated against him, according to the notice.

Meanwhile, the prime minister's aide on political communication Shahbaz Gill has demanded that Jatoi furnish proof for his accusations, warning him that if he is unable to do so then the party will take "strict action" against him.