LAHORE: Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Raja Riaz says the opposition will not allow Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to sweep the issue of contaminated drug reaction deaths under the carpet by passing the buck on the federal government.

"Shahbaz Sharif is blaming Islamabad for hatching a conspiracy against him because he has no excuse to save his skin in the deaths of more than 100 cardiac patients. His so-called governance has completely been exposed before the people of Punjab, who consider him the murderer of their beloved ones," said Raja Riaz.

He told Dawn on Wednesday the people of Punjab would not forgive Shahbaz for his 'criminal' negligence, and his attempt to involve the federal government in his failure showed how much mentally upset he was at the moment.

Riaz further said the chief minister lacked 'moral courage' otherwise he would have resigned without delay over the issue. "Shahbaz Sharif is power hungry. There was a demand for his resignation from all quarters when hundreds of people died of dengue last year but he kept on looking for one pretext or another," he said.

Raja Riaz, who also remained senior minister of Shahbaz cabinet, said the PPP would ask the PML-N legislators to appoint a new leader of the house as Shahbaz was not a fit person any more to run the affairs of the province.

"Instead of accepting his government's failure in the deaths, Shahbaz first tried to implicate doctors. When he failed to do so he thought the people would easily be fooled by naming the federal government. But I want to tell him that gone are the days when such tactics would work," he said.

Mr Riaz said the opposition had finalised its strategy in the house and would force Law Minister Rana Sanaullah to apologise for his indecent remarks against Shaukat Basra. "Besides, the chief minister will have to come to the house to tell the legislators about his steps to save the lives of the people of the province from spurious drugs," he said, and added that the opposition would not let the chief minister off the hook.

Meanwhile, Governor Latif Khosa visited the Services Hospital and inquired after the patients.

Talking to reporters, he criticised the chief minister and said the people could not be fooled through statements. He said the chief minister instead of blaming the presidency for all ills should better admit his administrative failures and give up the portfolios of 18 ministries as he (Shahbaz) was a human being.

The governor said the three provinces had agreed on the Drug Regulatory Authority and asked the 'friends' in Punjab to shun arrogance.