New PTI entrant Ijazul Haq says will try to create harmony among parties
Believes it’s PTI time as party is on the cusp of its popularity: Alleges govt committed Rs222bn corruption in free flour distribution scheme
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Former minister Ijazul Haq has said that every party has its time, and it is Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s time while disclosing that he will meet all heads of political parties to create harmony among them, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Talking to media on Monday in Sahiwal, the son of former military ruler late General Ziaul Haq said that the PTI is on the cusp of its popularity.
He said that once the Pakistan Peoples Party became the most popular party and then the Pakistan Muslim League held sway among public ‘but now people are supporting the PTI’s narrative’.
Haq hailed the decision that PTI Chairman Imran Khan himself would decide about awarding tickets to party candidates.
He said that he did not decide about contesting elections from Sahiwal so far. However, he said, he will give it a though after Eidul Fitr holidays.
On elections, he said that though the Supreme Court had ordered to hold polls on May 14 ‘but it doesn’t look like that the elections will be held next month’.
He lamented Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s remark about Imran in which he said that ‘either they (PTI) will exist or us (PML-N)’.
“This is not the politics of 1990s, people have become politically conscious now,” he added.
He said that he would meet heads of all political parties and try to create harmony among them.
The PTI showed some flexibility in holding dialogue with the government. Following Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq’s meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the PTI on Sunday constituted a three-member committee to hold dialogue on the ongoing political crisis in the country.
The three-member committee includes Pervez Khattak, Senator Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry and Mian Mehmoodur Rashid which will hold talks with the JI.
On Saturday, a significant thaw in political tensions was witnessed after the ruling coalition and the opposition PTI expressed their willingness to hold talks with each other “within the framework of the Constitution” following their separate meetings with the JI chief during the day.
In a positive response to the ‘consensus effort’ by the Jamaat-e-Islami, the PML-N tasked Ayaz Sadiq and Saad Rafique to hold talks.
According to some reports, Sadiq and Rafique were given a go-ahead to approach the JI for talks. However, the PTI also reiterated its stance of seeking date for elections.
Talking about free Atta scheme, Ijazul Haq deplored the loss of several lives in the stampede among the seekers of free flour bags.
“Nobody can pay for the 22 innocent lives lost during the free flour distribution drama,” he said, adding that the government has committed Rs222 billion corruption in the free flour distribution scheme.
On political arrests, he said that unlawful arrests are still going on and ‘I condemn these arrests. These kind of arrests cannot lower the popularity of the PTI. I have heard that notices have been issued for his and other leaders’ arrests too’.
He decried that poor people of Pakistan are paying for the lavish spending by the members of the ‘largest cabinet in the world’.
On Mach 19, Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z) Chairman Ijazul Haq joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf along with his colleagues.