Opposition in Punjab decides to fight 'victimisation'
03 September, 2012
LAHORE: Both opposition parties in the Punjab Assembly – the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) – have decided to expose and fight "Sharif brothers' politics of victimisation". Both parties' parliamentary leaders have decided to hold a joint press conference today (Monday) at the Punjab Assembly Secretariat to highlight police cases against opposition members to keep them from opposing the rulers in Punjab. According to parliamentary sources, PPP's deputy parliamentary leader in the provincial assembly Shaukat Mehmood Basra, who hails from Bahawalnagar, and PML-Q's parliamentary leader in the House Chaudhry Zaheeruddin would address the media. The sources said that in the press conference, a white paper about "the wrongdoings of the Punjab government" would also be issued, which would not only expose "the provincial rulers' anti-democratic acts against the opponents but also pinpoint some official schemes which have been utter failures because of poor governance of Punjab Chief Minsiter Shahbaz Sharif". Sources said the opposition had decided to expose the poor governance of the Punjab rulers through the white paper by providing proofs of financial corruption in various departments. The white paper would highlight the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) in Lahore, irregular awarding of tenders, misuse of development funds in Jati Umra, deprivation in the rural areas of the province, the Ashiana Housing Scheme, causalities in Lahore because of purchase of substandard dengue medicines, and spending of huge money on the laptop scheme out of the provincial educational budget passed by the assembly. The failure of the Sasti Roti Scheme, supply of spurious drug to Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), which led to deaths of over a hundred people, the Punjab Food Support Programme, the Yellow Cab Scheme and the announcement of incorrect examination results by different educational boards in Punjab would also be highlighted before the media. On the direction of the provincial government, the TMO of Bahawalnagar had registered a case against PPP leader Shaukat Basra, accusing him of illegal occupation of government's land, the sources said. When our sources contacted Basra, he said it was a fact that local police had registered a fake case against him, adding that it was political victimisation by the Punjab rulers to pressure their opponents. Basra said he would expose "the Sharif brothers' illegal acts before the media by releasing a white paper about their wrongdoings". He said it was a fact that no industrialist could ever become a pro-people politician as they always put their interests before that of the people. Basra said Sharifs were involved in political victimisation of opposition members through police, to punish them for opposing and challenging their activities in the assembly. End.
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