Sher Afzal Marwat castigates Shehbaz Sharif over ‘mandate theft’

ISLAMABAD: PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat on Saturday castigated PML-N nominee for prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, over alleged mandate theft, vowing to continue the party’s struggle until “recovery of mandate”, ARY News reported.

Addressing a PTI rally in Islamabad today, he said that the people of Pakistan gave the mandate to those – who were accused of orchestrating May 9 violence – wherein military installations came under attack following arrest of Imran Khan.

Lambasting his political rivals, Sher Afzal Marwat said that the public has exposed them all on February 8, regretting that PTI’s mandate was stolen through Form 47. “The incumbent government’s reality was stealing prisoner no: 804’s mandate,” he added.

He further said that Imran Khan was innocent but imprisoned for seven months, adding that the PTI founder’s only sin was chanting ‘absolutely not’ and striving for real freedom (Haqeeqi Azadi).

Marwat urged the Supreme Court to take notice of the violation of Pakistanis’ fundamental rights under the judiciary’s watch.

“Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Parvez Elahi, Bushra Bibi, Yasmin Rashid, Sanam Javed, and other PTI leaders have been unjustly jailed for the past two years,” he told the protestors.

“We will continue our struggle and protest in the courts, parliament, and on the streets until Imran Khan is released and the recovery of our mandate,” the PTI leader concluded.

Pakistan’s National Assembly is set to witness a one-to-one contest for the post of prime minister of leader of the house tomorrow (Sunday) as nomination papers of allied parties’ candidate Shehbaz Sharif and PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) candidate Omar Ayub have been approved, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Newly-elected National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq approved the nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif and Omar Ayub Khan for the prime minister election after scrutiny.

The election for the Prime Minister will take place during the session of the National Assembly scheduled for Sunday at 11 am. The election would be conducted through the division of members in the House.

Pakistan People’s Party and PML-N got their speaker and deputy speaker elected with ease in Friday’s session, defeating the SIC and PTI-backed candidates.

Following the prime minister’s election, the newly-elected lawmakers will also elect a new head of the state on March 9, marking an end to the tenure of PTI-backed President Arif Alvi.