LAHORE: Although main leaders of the PPP are cautious not to open a front against the PML-N, Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer has attacked the Sharifs and demanded re-opening of the Hudaybia Paper Mills case and a probe into the $20 million money laundering scam.
While other PPP leaders have remained quiet, Salman Taseer has called for aggressive prosecutions.— Photo from APP/File
‘There are evidences in Hudaybia Mills and the money laundering cases and the courts should hear them,’ Mr Taseer said while talking to reporters after distributing prizes among top scorers in Governor’s Cup Golf Tournament here on Sunday.
‘Mian Shahbaz Sharif’s qualification issue should also be taken up for simultaneously keeping both the provincial assembly seats he (Mr Shahbaz) had won,’ he said.
Reiterating the PPP stance that no minister would resign only because of allegations, Mr Taseer recalled that Nawaz Sharif had continued to rule the country as prime minister despite having been named in a case as a recipient of ISI funds.
Similarly, the governor said, Shahbaz Sharif continued to act as the chief minister even when some cases were pending against him.
He criticised a section of the media which he said was demanding PPP ministers’ resignations.
Mr Taseer’s outbursts came as a surprise to political analysts because the PPP leadership, after abortive attempt to take over Punjab from the PML-N through governor’s rule, had directed the governor to go soft on the N-League.
Even the PPP central executive committee meeting held on Saturday had avoided criticising the PML-N for the crisis the party was facing.
It may be mentioned that Mr Taseer was victimised by the Sharifs when they were in power.
PML-N spokesperson Ahsan Iqbal said that the PPP should avoid taking Punjab governor’s advice seriously because he (Taseer) had earlier embarrassed the party, a reference to the governor’s rule.
Punjab CM’s senior adviser Sardar Zulfikar Khosa said Mr Taseer represented Musharraf and not the PPP. (Taseer had been appointed as governor by Pervez Musharraf).
He said if the PPP had any grievances against the PML-N then President
Asif Zardari or Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani would have spoken about them, but this was not the case.
Khwaja Saad Rafiq of the N-League criticised the federal government for not taking the ‘right path’ and said ‘the masses’ could decide its fate before time if it did not mend its ways.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were reported to be planning to meet on Monday to discuss the situation arising out of harsh statements being made by members of the PPP and the PML-N.
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