Khaqan, Sana claim 35 PTI MNAs in contact with PMLN

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has claimed that around 35 members of the National Assembly (MNAs) belonging to the PTI have approached them and sought assurance for award of PMLN ticket for the general elections.

Talking exclusively to The News, he said: “I inform you that 35 MNAs from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have approached us and want assurance from the PML-N leadership that they would be awarded party tickets for the upcoming general elections.” When asked, he said: “I am not talking about any past contacts as these are the latest developments. You will be surprised to know that PTI MNAs from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also contacted our senior party members and showed their willingness to contest next elections on the PMLN ticket.”

He said: “It is not a big secret that the majority of these MNAs belong to Punjab and they want to secure their political future. Some of them are enjoying perks and privileges but still are not willing to contest the general elections on the PTI ticket.” Replying to a question, he said: “Rana Sanaullah can better inform you about the members of the Punjab Assembly belonging to the ruling party, who are willing to jump out from the sinking ship of PTI. We have informed all these disgruntled PTI MNAs that our party has no plan of tabling no-confidence motions both at the Punjab and the federal level. So they can only talk about the general elections that can be held soon.”

Sources have claimed time and again that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif always dismissed the proposal for tabling a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar because he maintained that his party would not become part of any political move that carries footprints of the establishment. PMLN Vice President Maryam Nawaz also minced no words and always opposed the idea of no-confidence motions. Senior PMLN members informed this correspondent in the recent past that Maryam Nawaz believed that Usman Buzdar was the Achilles heel of the PTI and would be one of the biggest factors that would sink the PTI ship.

To another question, he said: “Our party has shut the doors on Federal Minister Omar Ayub Khan who now cannot return to the party due to his abusive remarks against the party leadership. The party leadership will review the requests of the disgruntled PTI MNAs and take a decision with consensus. We can take back those who left us in the past but it will be difficult for them who used dirty language against the party leadership."

He stated: “I have no information about any meeting of Federal Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan with our party leadership. Now the electables will keep coming to us from other parties because everyone knows that the PMLN is the biggest power in the political field.”

Meanwhile, PMLN Punjab President Rana Sanaullah claimed that several PTI parliamentarians from Punjab were in contact with him. He said this while talking to the media here on Thursday. “When the time comes, we will reveal the names,” he said, adding that the government boat is sinking. He said the army chief and the DG ISI asked Imran Khan to talk to the opposition but he is not listening to them while no one in the PTI is listening to Imran Khan. He claimed that even Usman Buzdar is not listening to him.

Answering a question, he said most of the roads constructed during the PMLN government were built by the FWO and China. Now it is not clear that Imran Khan is accusing whom for corruption in the roads construction. Replying to a question about long march, he said the stage for long march has come, but, unfortunately, the PPP got out of this process.

He said the “absolutely not” statement by Imran Khan is also fake news. He said the world is not ready to listen to him as an elected prime minister. “Now America is talking about punishing Pakistan along with Afghanistan,” he said, adding that this is the complete failure of the PTI foreign policy. He said the government is only focusing on extension of the services of the NAB chairman and EVM machines to rig the upcoming elections. He said instead of resolving the problems of people, they are just increasing them by rising inflation, uncontrollable price hike and bullish trend in the value of dollar. He said the PMLN along with the PDM will soon start a protest campaign against the government but “we do not want anarchy and peaceful protests are our constitutional right”.