Fazl accuses PM of creating instability

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Monday while terming the foreign funding case of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as the biggest scandal in Pakistan’s history, said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has created political instability in the country by taking "mother of NROs”.

Talking to reporters along with other PDM leaders including Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz here after chairing the meeting of the alliance’s steering committee, Rehman said the PDM members were democratic people and followed the constitution and laws.

"We want freedom of democracy in the country because that is the constitutional demand and the law," he added.

He said the meeting discussed the strategy for Tuesday's protest outside the ECP and it was decided that "the PDM leadership will enthusiastically stage a protest demonstration outside the Election Commission regarding the foreign funding case."

"We will demand the ECP to immediately give a decision on the crime which has been accepted," he said, adding that further delays were giving rise to doubts and suspicions.

He said that the PDM would hand over a memorandum to the ECP regarding the delay in delivering verdict in foreign funding case, and the ECP would not be allowed to further delay the decisions as it had all the evidences.

He said that the meeting discussed the strategy of the PDM’s protest before the Election Commission.

“On Tuesday, the PDM leadership will stage a massive protest outside the Election Commission of Pakistan,” he added

While sharing the PDM’s incoming plans, he said that after holding the PDM’s public rally on February 27 in Khuzdar, the alliance in a summit will take the decision of launching a long march towards Islamabad.

He said that PTI collected funds from across the world and Imran Khan had accepted the funds.

He asked why the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was delaying the decision against Imran Khan for the past six years, while decisions had been given against an elected PM in six months.

Rehman said that PM Imran Khan was the main accused in the foreign funding case in which private business was done through a secret account.

He said that the PDM would protest outside the ECP office, and demand an early verdict as the delay was raising suspicions.

Informing about the decisions taken by the PDM’s steering committee, he said that on January 21, there would be a million march rejecting Israel followed by a rally in solidarity with Kashmiris on February 5 at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi.

“There will be a full-scale protest against those who sold off Kashmir,” he said.

He further said that historic rallies would be held in Hyderabad on February 9, Sialkot on February 13, Pishin on February 16, Sargodha on February 23, Khuzdar on February 27, followed by the decision to march towards Islamabad.

The final date for the “Long March” will be announced at the PDM rally, the PDM chairman said.

Rehman termed the foreign funding case, "the biggest scandal in Pakistan's political history", whose central character he said was Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He accused the premier of illegally collecting millions of rupees from around the world in the name of his party and "using them for political disruption and election rigging by bringing the money into the country through Hundi and other means".

Rehman said the foreign funding case against the ruling PTI had been pending for six years and Prime Minister Imran took "the mother of NROs" to create political instability in Pakistan and "used funds collected in the name of charity for personal business and spreading chaos, illegally and through secret accounts".

Referring to former premier Nawaz Sharif, Rehman said on the one hand a decision was issued against an elected prime minister within six months, while today a case was pending against a "selected" prime minister for six years.

"What kind of justice is this?" he asked.

Maryam Nawaz Sharif answering he question regarding the achievements of the PDM said that ECP’s mobilisation in foreign funding case was also an achievement as it had did nothing in seven years.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021