LAHORE, April 2: Former MNA Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood on Monday condemned the police action against his supporters in Rahim Yar Khan on the day he was visiting his constituency for the first time after being elected Punjab president of the PML-Functional.

At a news conference here, he said the action had created resentment against the Punjab chief minister and now it would not be possible for Pervaiz Elahi to visit the area because of the likely reaction he could have to face.

He said thousands of followers of Pir Pagara were also coming from Sindh to Rahim Yar Khan to receive him, but the government did not let them cross into Punjab. “Will such an act add to the respect of the government?” he asked.

Khan Sultan Mahmood Khan, Sheikh Anwar Saeed, Aziz Azad and some other office-bearers were also present at the news conference.

Ahmad Mahmood said he would face the situation with courage and dignity. However, he also showed his willingness to resolve the differences through talks. “If he (the Punjab chief minister) wants to hold talks, I am willing. He is the (provincial) president of his party and I am the head of mine.”

He said he did not know why the chief minister had turned against him.

He said the PML-F was an ally of the PML because of a decision of Pir Pagara.

He said when he was appreciating Pervaiz Elahi, he had not experienced his style of governance. The PML-F leader said he had always hoped that Pervaiz Elahi would follow the examples set by Shahbaz Sharif.

He said he wanted to confine himself to politics of the Rahim Yar Khan district, not extend to provincial level.

He alleged that the Punjab government had spent Rs20 million on advertisements maligning him and his brother-in-law Jehangir Tareen, a federal minister. He denied all allegations against them.

He said when Shahbaz was in power, the provincial development budget was only Rs8 billion, but the development was visible everywhere. But now that the development budget had shot up to Rs100 billion, roads of all major cities, including Lahore, were in a very bad shape.

He called for the release of all those arrested in his district.

OFFICIAL REACTION: Punjab PML General Secretary Chaudhry Zaheeruddin said that Makhdoom Ahmad Mehmood was working against the national integrity and survival of the country by creating ethnic prejudices on the basis of Punjabi, Saraiki and Sindhi.

Responding to his press conference, Zaheer said that Section-144 was applicable to all and no party was exempted.