PML-N leader suggests Shehbaz Sharif led govt to seek fresh mandate to avert civil war in Pakistan

Apr 19, 2022

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 19 : Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Monday suggested the coalition partners in the Shehbaz Sharif government to seek a fresh mandate from the masses to avert a civil-war like situation in the country, reported local media.
"Sometime, the coalitions should think about seeking fresh mandate and allow people to rate the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government for what it did in the last four years," The News International quoted him as saying while taking part in a debate on the floor of the House.
Noting that the final decision will be made by the coalition partners, Asif said that he personally feels that the country should move towards fresh elections to avert the danger of civil war. "Due to the violent attitude of the PTI, the virus of violence has also spread to the overseas Pakistanis," he added.
It is pertinent to mention that Shehbaz Sharif was sworn in as the Pakistan Prime Minister on April 11, following the removal of Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion, making him the first PM to be removed through the democratic process.
Citing an attack on the residence of senior journalist Hamid Mir, the PML-N leader claimed that the former premier and PTI chairman Imran Khan was instigating his workers to resort to violence to take the country towards civil war.
Asif recalled that an assassination attempt was made on Hamid Mir a few years back and he had received bullets in his body. He added that such actions are taken to silence voices and speech of freedom. "His programme Capital Talk was also stopped for months for speaking the truth," he said.
Stressing that the coalition government would have to take notice of such incidents of suppressing voices before the situation becomes irreversible, he said, "Such incidents could happen to other people also", according to the media outlet.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Acting President Sadiq Sanjrani on Tuesday administered the oath to the 34-member council of ministers of the newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which included 31 Cabinet Ministers.