Differences emerge within opposition over demand for Sharif's resignation

Differences emerged between Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) and Awami National Party (ANP) with other opposition parties over a demand for the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday.

"Excluding the Awami National Party (ANP) and Aftab Sherpao, all opposition parties are committed to demanding Nawaz Sharif's resignation," said Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Khursheed Shah.

"Assemblies should continue their tenure," Shah said, adding that the opposition wants the democratic process to continue and is only calling for the PM to resign.

'Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Sherpao said that the ANP and QWP, however, wished to wait for the Supreme Court's (SC) decision before deciding on calling for the PM's resignation, adding that they agreed with the opposition on the other demands, including unconditional support for the SC,"the Dawn reported.

"The people of Pakistan and all opposition members want elections to be held on time and the assemblies to complete their tenure," said Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah.

After the meeting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the opposition had given Khursheed Shah the authority to call the National Assembly session whenever he deemed fit.

"On the basis of the ultrasound conducted by the joint investigation team (JIT), we feel that the patient should resign," Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq stated.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has informed his cabinet that he will not resign and has challenged his opponents to bring forth proof of "corruption of a single paisa against his family and termed the joint investigation team's report a pack of "allegations and speculations".

As the opposition has threatened to launch a campaign for his removal, the Prime Minister responded to Opposition demands saying that the PML-N had bagged more votes than those of the opposition parties combined."The people of Pakistan have elected me and only they can remove me from this post," the Dawn quoted him as saying.

Sharif sternly challenged his opponents to bring forth proof of "corruption of a single paisa" since 1985 against his family and claimed that all allegations leveled by the JIT in its report were related to his family's business dealings, saying his family had "earned nothing after entering politics, but lost a lot," the Dawn reported.

The national economy could have done even better had it not been for the continuous conspiracies of anarchist political elements, added the premier.