Ruling coalition was running away from elections: Sheikh Rashid

RAWALPINDI, April 17 (SABAH):  Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief and former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday called out Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan for his remarks that elections in Punjab would not be held on May 14, the date fixed by the Supreme Court.

While addressing a ceremony a day earlier (Sunday), Rana Sanaullah had said that snap polls would not be conducted on May 14, adding that elections for national and provincial assemblies would be held simultaneously across the country.

Reacting to it, the former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, in a series of tweets, said the statement was an open defiance of the apex court’s orders. He said the ruling coalition was running away from elections.

He said it would be decided on Monday whether funds were issued by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) for elections or not. He said the central bank should be brought to justice first if it defied the court order for releasing the funds.

Hinting towards the ruling partners, he said: “They would soon be behind the bars or in public court”. He added that it was a good move if efforts for talks being made by JI Emir Sirajul Haq were well intentioned. He said now former US special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad had also endorsed PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari as “Mr 10%”.

He hoped that the top court would soon invalidate the NAB amendments, adding that courts were being threatened and immoral campaigns were being run against the judiciary. He said provincial elections would be held on time if the National Assembly was not dissolved.

He said the 90-day constitutional term of the interim government had completed and there was no reason for it to stay in power. He said foreign investment and airlines were coming to a halt.