LAHORE: The PML-N has taken exception to Governor Chaudhry Sarwar’s “political statements” during his visits to various educational institutions, saying this is unworthy of a chancellor to use such platform for politics.

“The PML-N condemns Governor Sarwar for using the platform of educational institutions for targeting his party’s political rivals. He is the man who earlier ditched Nawaz Sharif and joined the party which comprises corrupt elements,” PML-N Punjab information secretary MPA Azma Bokhari said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

She said instead of targeting political opponents, the chancellor should better focus on improving the affairs and educational standards of the varsities in Punjab.

Ms Bokhari said making Chaudhry Sarwar patron-in-chief of Aab-e-Pak Authority was tantamount to interfering in the chief minister’s domain.

Meanwhile, the PML-N has demanded the Punjab government should make Punjab Assembly opposition leader Hamza Shahbaz chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

Talking to reporters, PML-N MPA Samiullah Khan said the party’s previous government had made PTI’s Mahmoodur Rashid PAC chairman for five years, regretting that the Buzdar administration was denying this legitimate right to the opposition.

He said as Prime Minister Imran Khan was using the powers of the Punjab chief minister, therefore such matters lingered on.

Earlier, around 100 PML-N lawmakers had resigned from standing committees of the Punjab Assembly in protest against not making Hamza PAC chairman.

“Around 100 party [PML-N] MPAs have submitted their resignations to the assembly secretariat and we will not withdraw these untill the PTI government makes Hamza Shahbaz PAC chairman,” Samiullah Khan had said.

He claimed it was for the first time in the Punjab Assembly’s history that such a large number of lawmakers from the opposition resigned from the standing committees.

“After opposition members’ resignations, the standing committees have no democratic standing,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2020