Babar Awan. – File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former federal law minister Babar Awan accused the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday of using the government machinery for its rally in Lahore.

Addressing a press conference at his residence soon after the PML-N rally in Punjab capital, the former minister termed the rally a ‘comedy show’ or a replica of a Punjabi film.

Rejecting Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s call for President Asif Zardari’s resignation, he said that Mr Zardari would remain the president of the country for another term.

PPP’s parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, Raja Riaz, was also present in the press conference.

“No political actor can demand resignation of President Zardari,” he said.

The opposition party’s rally which he said was staged in a narrow street was participated by employees of the Punjab government and not by common people.

Mr Awan said no-one had a right to ask President Zardari for resignation because he was an elected head of the state and part of parliament.

The PPP leader, who did not elaborate that how the ruling party will counter the opposition campaign against the government, said: “We don’t think that PML-N’s move can harm the government.”

However, he said, the PPP would resume its people-to-people contacts in Lahore after Oct 31, the end of 10-day mourning being observed by the ruling party on the demise of Nusrat Bhutto across the country.

Responding to a question that will the government allow N-League to hold a rally in the federal capital, the former minister said the opposition party could hold public gatherings anywhere in the country.

“We don’t believe in no-go areas,” he said.

Mr Awan termed the PML-N rally an action replay of Gen Musharraf’s public meeting held on May 12, 2007 in Islamabad.

He condemned, what he said, indecent language used by Shahbaz Sharif in his address against President Zardari and the PPP leadership.

Dubbing the PML-N public meeting as ‘Siri-paye rally’ (bone-eating party), Babar Awan said that there was no need to take serious the threats hurled by the PML-N leadership and Punjab chief minister.

He described the Sharifs as ‘Shar (troublemaker) brothers’ and said that they would soon flee to Jeddah, adding the PPP leadership never beg pardon from any dictator and fled to Saudi Arabia.