Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has once again rejected claims by some ministers that leaders of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party (PML-N) are seeking some relief from the government.

“We have not asked for any Musharraf era National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)-like agreement from the government and there is no such provision in the constitution,” Abbasi, a senior leader of the PML-N, said while addressing a press conference at the National Press Club (NPC) here on Saturday.

He was accompanied by the former finance minister Miftah Esmail and former information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb.

Abbasi said former PM Nawaz Sharif had appeared 185 times before the Accountability Courts of the country.

“He who appears before courts for so many times will never seek NRO,” said the former premier, who is a close ally of Sharif.

Accusing the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of “poor performance” and failing to check price hikes, Abbasi said the government had failed and its ministers were incompetent and incapable of delivering any good to the society.

Dark clouds were hovering over Pakistan’s economy, he said, adding all the records of loans were broken during the present regime.

While referring to the recent statements of the Railways Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmad and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, n Abbasi said the ministers had no understanding of the real issues.

“If abusing could help solve the issues people would have heaved a sigh of relief but unfortunately the energy crisis, price hikes and other problems are posing serious challenge to the writ of the government,” the former PM said.

Speaking about the ongoing shortage of natural gas, Abbasi said the government could have resolved the problem six months earlier as it was not a big deal.

The problem, he said, is the government is not competent enough to foresee an impending crisis.

He also decried the government for frequently putting the names of the opposition Members of Parliament on the Exit Control List (ECL).

“Imposing travel ban on a citizen of Pakistan was a serious matter but the government had unfortunately made it a plaything,” Abbasi said.

On military courts, he said these courts were established during the days of the PML-N government. Now the government will have to give solid reasons why these courts should be extended for another term.

Former Finance Minister Esmail on the occasion said the present government was not doing proper planning and all indicators of growth were showing downward trend. During the first five months, no increase was registered in exports and GDP rate had plunged to mere 2 per cent and Pakistan currency was devalued a record 30 per cent against the US dollar. He also criticised Finance Minister Asad Umar for launching a mini-budget, later this month.