News Analysis |
The President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and opposition leader Mr. Shehbaz Sharif has categorically rejected the allegations of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). “We are not demanding any NRO,” opposition leader made it clear on Wednesday while addressing the National Assembly. Mr. Shehbaz went on saying that he would “quit politics if Prime Minister Imran Khan could prove that a request for an NRO had been made”.
“We did not ask for an NRO. If the leader of the house can prove that a request was made for an NRO, I will quit politics for all time to come,” Shahbaz claimed. It is important to mention here that recently Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed that he was approached by Sharifs to sign a deal to give them some relief.
Mr. Shehbaz went on saying that he would “quit politics if Prime Minister Imran Khan could prove that a request for an NRO had been made”.
The proposal, according to Mr. Khan, was rejected by him. Interestingly, Prime Minister Imran Khan made it clear during his maiden speech to the nation that whenever powerful and corrupt people will be brought before the law there will be a propaganda against the government. A narrative will also be established as if the democracy was under threat, he added. Similar observations have been made by the information Minister on Tuesday.
Read more: Is another NRO around the corner?
He maintained that the government is facing and will face more challenges by the political opponents for allowing the NAB to independently conduct inquiries into financial matters of those who have been holding the public offices.
PM Khan repeated his stance in his address to the nation on October 24th, saying that the corrupt leaders in the country are seeking for an NRO which is only a daydream. “I want to give them a message: ‘open your ears and hear this: you can come out on the streets. We will give you containers and give you food. You can do whatever you want in the assemblies… [But] no one will get an NRO’.”
It is important to mention here that recently Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed that he was approached by Sharifs to sign a deal to give them some relief.
Like Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, PPP co-chairman, is indirectly threatening the government of a tough and more aggressive opposition if it does not offer an NRO or a deal to the corrupt politicians in the country. Since the NAB is working independently, it is threatening the system developed by such ‘criminals’. The government has, on the other hand, made it clear that there is zero tolerance on the matters related to corruption and misuse of authority.
Read more: Is the PML-N demanding NRO?
It is yet to be seen whether the PM decides to disclose the identity of those who approached him to sign an NRO to give some relief to the opposition leader. The PML-N president was arrested by NAB in the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case and was produced before accountability court Judge Najmul Hasan.
If PM Khan discloses the identity of the person, the PML-N may be in a politically embarrassing situation in the coming days. For many, the PML-N seems to have its back against the wall. The euphoria it had attained over the suspension of sentence for Nawaz Sharif quickly evaporated when Shahbaz was taken into custody. There are whispers that a great many of the former ruling party seek to defect en masse to the PML-Q.