LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday asked the caretaker government to refrain from taking important decisions like appointment to certain key posts, describing as ‘illegal’ posting of ‘notorious’ persons to offices like chairperson of the National Electric Power Regularity Authority and transfer of some federal secretaries.
“The caretaker prime minister should not make appointments (to certain key posts) at the behest of President Asif Zardari. He is listening to President Zardari but not us,” PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif said while talking to newsmen at Raiwind on Friday.
“The prime minister should respect the people’s mandate. The PM is legally, morally and politically obliged to respect this mandate but he is taking instructions from President Zardari,” Shahbaz said, warning of a stern stance if the caretakers did not change their attitude.
The PML-N’s deputy secretary general Ahsan Iqbal wonders what is forcing the interim government to take important decisions while the new set-up is going to charge within 10 days.
“It is illegal and outside their mandate to post federal secretaries and replace the Nepra head just days before the caretakers are going to leave the charge.”
“We respect mandate of all parties in different provinces and others should respect our mandate,” Mr Iqbal added.
In reply to a query about allegations of rigging, he complained that government officials were reshuffled in a ‘storm’ of transfers in Punjab while in other provinces nothing was done as President Zardari’s brother-in-law Fazal Pechecho was posted as Sindh additional chief secretary before the polls.
Ghaus Ali Shah, president of the PML-N’s Sindh chapter, said his party had already expressed reservations about caretaker chief minister of Sindh.
“That’s the reason rigging was clearly observed during polls in Sindh,” he added.
