LAHORE: Rights activist and former MNA Mehnaz Rafi has questioned leaving out chief ministers of other three provinces and only inviting Punjab’s to receive the Chinese president.

“Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was present (at the Noor Khan Airbase) to receive the Chinese president. It seems that he had gone there in the capacity of Prime Minister Nwaz Sharif’s brother, otherwise, the chief ministers of other province would have also been invited to received the Chinese president,” she said.

Talking to Dawn here on Monday, Begum Mehnaz Rafi said the prime minister had also sent his brother to Saudi Arabia to hold talks on Yemen issue instead of tasking his adviser on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz, with the job.

She said it seemed the prime minister was more interested in developing “personal relations” with the leaders of Saudi Arabia and China.

She said the prime minister had also taken his brother to China on state visit, ignoring other chief ministers.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2015

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