Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says it is overwhelming opinion of all the coalition parties in the government that doors of dialogue should not be closed and setting aside personal ego, talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf can be held in the larger interest of the country.
Addressing an important meeting of the leaders of coalition parties in Islamabad today, he said negotiations with PTI can be held through Speaker National Assembly or the Parliamentary Committee to reach consensus over holding elections simultaneously on one day.
The Prime Minister said parliament is the supreme to take decisions on all the matters. He said the Supreme Court is to give verdicts according to the law and the constitution instead of giving right of arbitration. He said the Supreme Court should respect the decisions and resolutions passed by the parliament.
He said the coalition parties have also developed consensus that elections should be held simultaneously on one day after completion of the constitution term of the current assemblies.
Strongly criticizing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Shehbaz Sharif said its leadership exploited the prevailing situation of the country instead of resolving the challenges, Pakistan was facing, and even pushed the country into bulk of crises. He said PTI created bitterness, intolerance, chaos and division in the society.
He said even PTI agents maligned armed forces of Pakistan and its leadership through statements and tweets for their vested interests.
The Prime Minister said the coalition took several steps to bring the country out of crises. However, the situation is still challenging.
He reiterated the resolve of his government to bring the country out of the prevailing multiple challenges and put it on path of development and prosperity.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the Parliament would take a decision regarding the elections as the forum had already taken legal and constitutional steps to address the pervading challenges.
The prime minister, addressing a meeting of the coalition parties, said in the recent past, the meetings were held to discuss the challenges and the remedial measures, and a joint session of the Parliament also took legal and constitutional steps in that regard.
It was the government’s political and moral obligation to accept the Parliament’s decision, he added.
PM Shehbaz said despite the Parliament’s decision not to accept the three-member bench, the Supreme Court wanted to move forward with the same bench.
However, the coalition parties were unanimous that they would accept the 4-3 verdict of the apex court bench and not 2-3.
The Supreme Court, he said, should not be given the right to arbitrate as it was there to only give verdicts as per law and the Constitution.
He said the coalition parties were unanimous that the elections would be held in October or November after the incumbent government completed its term on August 13.
