LAHORE:Awami National Party (ANP) leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that his party was closely monitoring political situation in the country. He appreciated that the Punjab government had successfully conducted by-polls in a peaceful manner, in which the PTI was able to win 15 seats. He said that Imran Khan talked about supremacy of the Constitution, but he had never respected the democratic norms and values.
He said that no one was above the Constitution, and all institutions should work as per the guidelines of the Constitutions. He said that the higher courts could only interpret the Constitution, and could not write it.
Stressing the need to control inflation, he said that the ANP, even in today’s meeting, requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to provide maximum relief to people in POL [petrol, oil, lubricants] prices after a decrease in the oil prices in the international market.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Waseem Akhtar said that the previous government was ousted as per Constitution, adding that the then PTI government was unable to solve people’s problems and challenges. He said that success or defeat was part of the electoral process; however, political workers always continue to struggle.
He said that effective policies should be made to provide relief to the inflation-hit people, adding that the PTI should refrain from politics of allegations, even after winning the by-elections. If the national institutions were not impartial, how come the PTI succeeded in winning the by-polls, he questioned.
MNA Mohsin Dawar said that the ECP should announce verdict in the PTI foreign funding case at the earliest. He said that no one would be allowed to take over the authority or powers of the Parliament, as it was Parliament’s prerogative to do legislation. It was need of the hour to restore democratic norms in the country, as Imran Khan had defamed the institutions and the Parliament, he added.