Punjab CM Usman Buzdar condemns opposition’s political point-scoring

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Thursday condemned political point-scoring by the opposition parties when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was trying to tackle the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) recently.

Rebuking the opposition for not playing their roles in resolving the security crisis amid the TLP protest, Buzdar accused them of playing dirty politics on the issues of national interests.

“The opposition behaved inappropriately by showing irresponsibility at this juncture,” said Buzdar during an interaction on the law and order situation and other matters with the members of a steering committee formed to implement the agreement reached between the government and outlawed TLP.

The delegation, headed by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammed Khan, along with Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat, chief secretary, additional chief secretary and principal secretary CM Buzdar called on the Punjab CM in Lahore today.

During the meeting, the officials also prayed for the martyred police officials who lost their lives during clashes with the banned TLP.

“The policemen who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty are our pride. The government stands by their heirs and will not leave them alone,” said the provincial chief minister.

After more than a week of clashes that left 11 policemen martyred and several others injured, the government on October 31 reached an ‘agreement’ with the group but did not reveal any details.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, former chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman had announced that both the parties had reached an agreement after successful negotiations.

The banned outfit was protesting over the detention of its leader Saad Rizvi, arrested in April, and was demanding the expulsion of the French ambassador from Pakistan. Several thousand supporters had begun a march from Lahore to Islamabad earlier in October.