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| October 23, 2002 | Wednesday | Sha’aban 16,1423 |
Delay in formation of govts flayed
PESHAWAR, Oct 22: National Awami Party Pakistan chief Mohammad Ajmal Khan Khattak has expressed concern over the delay in the formation of the government and called for the National Assembly session so that members can elect the leader of the House.
Mr Khattak said that deadlock over convening of the session and formation of the government was giving birth to uncertainty and it was the need of the hour to elect a consensus government, according to a NAPP press release issued on Tuesday.
The nation, he recalled, had already witnessed the repercussions of such a delay in the shape of the dismemberment of the country in 1970.
Mr Khattak said that people were expecting consensus from politicians on matters of national interests and it was high time elected people and political leaders demonstrated statesmanship to end the deadlock. He advised all the political parties to forget about their personal likes and dislikes, and work in the larger interest of the country.
PML-Q: The NWFP president of PML(Q), Salim Saifullah Khan, has said that PML(Q) has emer-ged as the single largest party in the 2002 polls and it has the democratic right to form governments in the centre and provinces, app adds.
Addressing a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, he said it was a practice in democracy that the party in majority would be invited to form the government.
He said that all decisions regarding formation of government in the centre and provinces should be taken in the larger interest of the nation.
“Pakistan is passing through a critical juncture and all the democracy-loving people and parties should take great care in this transition period and work for the formation of government and restoration of democracy,’’ he added.
He said, frustration was increasing within the masses due to the impasse in the formation of governments in the centre and provinces, adding that national thinking should be adopted to defuse the ongoing tension and put the country on the road to democracy and progress.
However, he hoped that the leadership of PML(Q) would adopt national thinking and not frustrate the masses in this critical juncture.
To a question about PML(Q)- MMAP coalition governments in the centre and provinces, Salim Saifullah said: ‘‘Consultations with different political parties are in final stages and if we succeed in forming a coalition government with MMA in the centre. We will definitely sit with them in the NWFP and Balochistan.”
He alleged that the returning officer gave a biased verdict in favour of his opponent candidate and intentionally wasted thousands of his genuine votes, adding that hundreds of postal ballots were also not included in the re-counting process.
However, he said, he believed in the supremacy of law and had adopted a legal way to fight the case, adding that the case was with the election tribunal which would decide its fate.
About the election results and his resignation from the party office, he said, the results were unexpected and the MMA wave had flashed out all the bigwigs in the province.
He said, “I tendered my resignation to the central working committee but it turned it down and asked me to continue as the provincial president of PML(Q), NWFP.
Clarifying a news item regarding contesting of polls from Peshawar in future, he said, the voters of Lakki Marwat had always given their verdict in favour of Saifullah family. However, victory and defeat were part of democracy, he added.
He said, ‘‘Saifullah brothers will contest polls from their home constituency Lakki Marwat in future.”
He said their doors were open to all and they would work for the upliftment of Lakki Marwat with more zeal.
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