NAROWAL: We want across-the-board accountability and not revenge in the name of accountability.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said this in a media talk at the Paigham-i-Amn Conference here on Saturday. PML-N leader and MNA Ahsan Iqbal arranged the conference.

Addressing his successor in the Prime Minister Office, Mr Abbasi said neither anybody was asking for an NRO nor anyone granted.

“We curse both the giver and the taker,” he said. “Imran Khan himself is a great tax evader; we’ll provide a proof,” he said.

He said there were no groups within the PML-N despite many efforts to create breakaway factions in it. He said Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif were on the same page.

“(The) PML- N wants all institutions work within the ambit of law and Constitution,” he said, adding the opposition had offered help to the government on how to deal with inflation and improve economy.

He said the nation was suffering from inflation only due to the flawed policies of the government as there had been no progress in the last eight months. Now, Mr Khan should understand the situation because the country was going towards the path of destruction. There was the danger of dictatorship due to the policies of Mr Khan.

He said: “Inflation in Pakistan is a gift of Imran and Shah Mahmood Qureshi; petroleum prices are going down the world over but in Pakistan, they have gone up.”

He said Shahbaz would return to Pakistan after one week.

Earlier, Mr Abbasi addressed the conference that they offered sacrifices in order to curb extremism and terrorism from the country. He said the armed forces and other institutions defeated terrorism by forging unity.

“If we want to make progress, we’ll have to defeat terrorism.”

PPP MNA Khursheed Shah also addressed the gathering by telephone.

PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said: “One year ago, I was attacked by an extremist, which was an attempt on my life; the attacker is not an alien as he is among us and is our brother.”

The conference was addressed, among others, by Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, Prof Qibla Muhammad Ayaz, Prof Father James Chanan, , former ambassador to Saudi Arabia Hasham Siddiqui and Allama Niaz Husnain Naqvi.

The function was attended by local MPAs, political and social leaders and a number of students of the University of Narowal.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2019