PESHAWAR: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has asked the government to stop political victimisation of opposition leaders and take practical steps for strengthening national economy and controlling inflation and joblessness.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Sunday, party’s provincial president Amir Muqam said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government had done nothing for public welfare during its tenure, but it only focused its attention on victimisation of opposition parties, particularly PML-N.

Flanked by the party’s provincial spokesman MPA Ikhtiar Wali Khan, provincial vice-president Malik Nadeem and others, he said that former director general of FIA Bashir Memon had disclosed all secrets which was an ample proof of the government’s anti-opposition intentions.

Referring to Mr Memon’s interview, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan had also ordered the former FIA chief to arrest him (Muqam).

Says PTI govt’s days are numbered

He said that being a government employee the FIA chief had to arrest him, but he had no legal ground for this.

“I have been facing cases for the past three years and answered all queries of National Accountability Bureau, but the accountability body could not find any proof against me,” he claimed and added that his son had been arrested in a baseless case and put behind bars without any reason.

Mr Muqam said he had no secret sources of income because his family was associated with construction sector since 1989 and had declared all of his assets.

However, he complained that many of his projects worth billions of rupees had been terminated by the federal government for the only reason that he was associated with PML-N.

He alleged that the federal government was using NHA against him just to cause him financial losses. “I have been facing a baseless case and am still on pre-arrest bail,” he said.

Mr Muqam said the federal government had cancelled Chakdara-Kalam, Bisham-Khwazakhela and Chakdara-Chitral road projects and its ultimate sufferers would be the masses. He said the results of by-election in Nowshera and Daska proved that PTI had no popularity in masses.

The PML-N leader said the government had lost majority in parliament, particularly with the formation of Jahangir Tareen group.

He claimed that the government’s days were numbered particularly after the disclosures by Mr Memon. He demanded of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the interview of former FIA official to bring an end to the NAB cases against opposition leaders.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2021