LAHORE:
Pakistan People’s Party Central Punjab General Secretary Syed Hasan Murtaza, launching a broadside against his party’s allies and the PTI, said that the largest National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) in the history of the country is being reached to ensure the release of a prisoner.
He stressed that negotiations should take place, but not agreements or NROs. He made these remarks during a press conference at the People’s Secretariat, Model Town, here on Thursday.
Hasan Murtaza alleged that an NRO is being sought behind closed doors, while negotiations are being held in front of the media.
“The PPP believes in negotiating issues and does not support an NRO.” He clarified that the PPP has never been part of such an ordinance, nor will it be in the future. “The decision to release any prisoner must be made by the court, and doing so through negotiations or an NRO would be illegal.”
He announced plans to visit districts of Punjab to activate non-functional posts at the district level, starting with Gujranwala Division next week. A youth committee, led by Mohsin Malhi, is being formed to activate youth, and disciplinary committees have been established at provincial and district levels.
Hasan Murtaza stated that PPP support sustains the government, but if it does not give them confidence in important decisions, they will face the consequences of both positive and negative results.
He clarified that the PPP’s objective is not to blackmail the Government or weaken the coalition, but they are concerned about favoritism in decision-making, which is causing divisions among the allies.
The PPP general secretary emphasized that Pakistan’s economy and politics need stability for the country to progress. He said the party cannot support anything that harms the nation.
“The government should avoid making unilateral decisions, particularly when it comes to agriculture, as some of these decisions pose a threat to food security.”
Murtaza criticized the government’s decision to privatize institutions and condemned the imposition of a supertax on agriculture, calling it unfair. He expressed concern over policies that push farmers to the brink and restrict their access to markets while sugarcane and sugar tax are allocated to AMP.
He also criticized actions under the guise of “firewalls” for harming the IT industry, claiming that it is being destroyed. “The world is moving towards 5G and Pakistan is being deprived of 2G.”
Hasan Murtaza accused the government of excluding the PPP from the distribution of national resources and subjecting the party to retaliatory actions in Punjab. He expressed his disappointment that despite this they are still called allies.
