Chohan says PML-N lawmakers for 'not fulfilling their constitutional duty'

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan on Tuesday criticised the opposition lawmakers for “not fulfilling their constitutional responsibility”, ARY News reported.

Talking to media outside Punjab Assembly, the minister maintained the Pakistan Muslim League (N) legislators were not attending the session for last four days but marking their attendance just to claim the allowances.

Fayyaz Chohan urged the opposition legislators to “maintain honour and decorum of the parliament, for which they are bound legally and constitutionally”.

The opposition MPAs, he added, just wanted to claim allowances and other financial benefits but were not fulfilling their constitutional responsibility.

Commenting on the recent contacts made by JUI-F  chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman with the opposition leaders, including Asif Zardari, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, Chohan observed that Maulana had always done politics in the garb of protecting the 1973 constitution.

Denying the opposition’s claim of victimization through NAB and judiciary, the minister said that only those politicians who had been involved in rampant corruption, money laundering and misuse of authority “were crying”.

“The judiciary, and the anti-corruption agencies are acting independently. Whenever the law tightens noose around these corrupt politicians, they get united in a bid to protect the looted money,” said Chohan.

He added that he wants to make it clear that the ongoing accountability process will continue “come what may” as people of Pakistan have given their mandate to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar for across the board accountability

“We have to recover the looted amount and deposit it back into the national exchequer,” said Chohan.