Islamabad: Taking strong exception to the ‘controversial’ statement of its provincial leader Rana Mashhood, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday initiated disciplinary action against him and suspended him from party’s membership.
A show-cause notice has also been served on him to explain his position.
Rana Mashhood in an interview to a private TV channel Samaa TV on Tuesday had claimed that Punjab government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would end in two months as a deal between PML-N and the establishment of the country was almost in its final stage.
“Those who are considered centres of power in the country have realised they made a mistake by supporting Imran Khan’s PTI in July 25 general elections,” Rana Mashhood said in the interview.
The interview, however, did not go well with Mashhood’s party as it not only termed his views as personal but also contrary to the party’s stated position.
Spokesperson for PML-N and former Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb in a message issued to media Wednesday stated that President of PML-N Shahbaz Sharif has suspended party membership of Rana Mashhood for his controversial statement and issued him a show-cause notice in this regard.
A committee has also been constituted to carry out investigation and see what caused Rana Mashhood to give such a provocative, contrary-to-party-policy statement.
The committee that comprises senior leaders of the PML-N Raja Zafarul Haq, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Rana Tanveer will record his statement and submit its report within two weeks.
Not only PML-N but PTI and the Army’s Inter-Services-Public-Relations (ISPR) have also rubbished his statement dismissing it outrightly.
Information Minister Fawad Hussain Chaudhry when asked about ‘deal’ stories between PML-N and the Establishment said Rana Mashhood didn’t know about such matters.
“Rana Mashhood is naive and our media is giving him too much importance unnecessarily,” said Fawad Chaudhry.
Director General ISPR Maj Gen Ghafoor Ahmed also denied any such negotiations and posted on his twitter account the following message: “Attribution of an obvious vested statement by Rana Mashhood is baseless and regrettable. Such irresponsible expressions are detrimental to stability in the country.”
Meanwhile, Mashhood while talking to media on Wednesday, clarified his position saying his remarks were taken out-of-context.
“My interview should be commented by only those who have actually seen it,” said he.
“Neither have we been a part of any deal before nor we will allow anyone to make any deals now …. I did say this though that those who were considered horses, turned out to be mules,” he further clarified.
