ISLAMABAD: A senior Pakistani opposition leader, whose party was instrumental in bringing the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, advocated the idea of setting up a “national government” without the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party during an interview with a local news channel on Wednesday.
Last week, the opposition filed a no-trust motion against the prime minister in the National Assembly Secretariat to topple the PTI-led coalition.
While the opposition has accused Khan’s administration for misgovernance, its leading politicians have also faced criticism for not sharing their political strategy after removing the government.
Some of its leaders have previously hinted at the possibility of holding fresh elections in the country, but this is the first time the top leader of a major opposition party has mooted the idea of a national government.
“I will say this to my party members that we should establish a national government that does not include [the ruling] PTI [party],” said Shehbaz Sharif, president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, while speaking to Geo News.
Sharif is also the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly whose party was in power before Khan won the last general elections in July 2018.
Explaining the rationale behind his political preference, the PML-N president said all components of the national government should collectively work for five years with full sincerity and diligence to serve the country which was facing daunting challenges.
Asked how a national government could be set up without the PTI party, Sharif maintained: “The PTI has poisoned our society.”
He added the impact of Khan’s party on Pakistan’s politics would not go away for many years to come.
Sharif and his family have faced several corruption references against them since the arrival of the PTI-led administration.
He and other opposition leaders have frequently maintained the government’s accountability drive is politically motivated which is solely launched to target its rivals.
Leading Pakistani opposition politician calls for ‘national government’ for five years
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Leading Pakistani opposition politician calls for ‘national government’ for five years
- PML-N president says the national government should exclude PM Khan’s PTI party and try to diligently serve the country
- Shehbaz Sharif tells a local news channel Khan’s party has ‘poisoned’ Pakistani society
Pakistan hikes prices of petrol by Rs5, diesel by Rs7.32 per liter for next fortnight
- After latest increase, new price of petrol is RsRs258.17 per liter while that of diesel is Rs275.70 per liter
- Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed fortnightly, influenced by global oil prices, exchange rate movements, taxes
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has increased the price of petrol by Rs5 per liter and that of high-speed diesel (HSD) by Rs5 per liter and Rs7.32 per liter, respectively, an official notification by the Ministry of Energy said on Sunday.
After the fresh increase, the new price of petrol is Rs258.17 per liter from the previous Rs253.17 per liter. Meanwhile, the new price of HSD is Rs275.70 per liter, up from the previous Rs268.38 per liter.
“The government has raised the prices of petroleum products based on recommendations of OGRA [Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority],” a notification by the Ministry of Energy said on Sunday.
Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed fortnightly and are influenced by global oil prices, exchange rate movements and domestic taxes. The pricing mechanism passes changes in import costs on to consumers.
The government kept the price of petrol unchanged on Feb. 1, increasing that of HSD by Rs11.30 per lite.
Petrol is mainly used in private transport, motorcycles and rickshaws, while diesel fuels heavy transport and agricultural machinery and is considered a key driver of inflation in the South Asian country.
Financial analysts warn constant increases in prices of petroleum products stoke inflation, inflicting a heavy burden on consumers.
