KARACHI: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leader Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman on Sunday said that the incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has turned Pakistan into a fragile state in just there years, asking people to wake up for a revolution.
Addressing a mammoth public rally OF PDM titled 'Stability of Pakistan, and protection of the rights of Sindh' at Jinnah Ground here Fazal-ur-Rehman said that the PDM's caravan will march towards Islamabad to topple what he called 'illegitimate government'. Through he did not mention any specific timeframe, in this regard.
The entire world is progressing, while Pakistan is going backward, he regretted. He said his party would make Pakistan a prosperous state and protect its self-respect and integrity. The PDM took a pause due to the Covid-19 situation and Muharram; however, our journey continues. The holy month of Muharram teaches us not to bow before the cruel elements.
He said the GDP has come down to zero under this 'incompetent regime'. The economy has been frozen. Unemployment has become rampant. Inflation has skyrocketed. Medicines are not available in the market. The government has lost economic, political, and moral grounds to run the affairs of this country. "I ask the people to wake up for a revolution; we are left with no other option."
When your economy is weak, you can not make an independent foreign policy, he said. "Under what grounds you have reserved the hotels of Islamabad and Karachi for the Americans coming from Afghanistan," he questioned.
This Prime Minister does not even know the state's principled stance on Kashmir. Today, under this government, the future of Gilgit-Baltistan is at the stake. The tribal population has also been under-represented, due to mass migration under the guise of operations against terrorists.
He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has announced unconditional amnesty to all. This should be lesson to us, as well. He asked the US to regard the commitment it made with Taliban, and accept her humiliating defeat.
"We want peace in the region. We want strong relations with neighbours including Afghanistan and Iran," said the Maulana.
However, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif in his speech said that his party would come into power to steer the country out of crisis.
He said the PDM would stand with the deprived Baloch people to ensure their rights. He alleged that PM Imran Khan is befooling the nation through empty and hollow claims. Out of Rs162 billion and Rs 1100 billion projects he (PM) announced for Karachi and Sindh, not a single penny has been spent as yet, he claimed.
He said Karachi had been witnessing lawlessness before 2013. Extortion, kidnappings for ransom, and target killings were at their peak and the frustrated investors were relocating their businesses to other countries, he said. However, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif's government came up with a comprehensive plan and restored peace with the help of law enforcement agencies in the megacity, he said.
Criticizing the incumbent government's policies, he that today prices of flour, sugar, electricity, and gas have been skyrocketed. Imran Khan while sitting in a 350-Kanal house, is proclaiming of making a Riasat e Madinah, he said.
He said inflation has broken the back of millions of poor people.
"If Allah, the Almighty, grant us opportunity once more, we will make Pakistan a welfare state, solve public issues, and provide them with free health, and education."
He said Karachi is revenue engine of Pakistan. It is home to everyone. It deserves to be given more development projects. However, unfortunately Karachi was step-motherly treated in the past, said Shehbaz.
Qaumi Watan Party Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said the problems of Pakistan would only be resolved when a true democracy flourishes here, but unfortunately the country has no foreign policy at the moment. The government is unaware of geo-political changes taking place in the region. "We want a peaceful Afghanistan and an inclusive government there."
He said Parliament is undermined. Genuine public leadership is a must to steer the country out of crisis. He said four finance Ministers and six FBR chairmen have been replaced by the incumbent government in two and half years and this reflects its poor economic and financial policies, and a sheer incompetence.
Central General Secretary of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri said that PM Imran Khan made tall claims of mega projects including 10 million jobs and 5 million low-cost homes, but to no avail. Inflation, poverty, lawlessness, and crime have become the hallmark of PTI-led federal government. Imran Khan before coming into power, had also made a public announcement that he would prefer to commit suicide, than to approach the IMF for monetary support, he recalled. But in a sheer deviation of his commitment, his government has taken loans from IMF, and he should fulfil his promise, and commit suicide, he said.
He said that Sindh, despite generating huge revenue for the national exchequer, is not being given its due share. In a veiled reference, he questioned the performance of PPP, saying the party despite ruling the province for the last many years, has failed to resolve the socio-economic problems faced by the people of Sindh. He said that each day Rs1 billion are being embezzled in 52 departments of Sindh. Millions of children are out of school in the province. The government could not bring to justice the elements involved behind the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, he said.
PML-N leader Miftah Ismail on this occasion said that his party would once again come to the power. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif gifted Karachiites Green Line Bus project. Once in the government PML-N has a plan to resolve water woes of Karachi by launching a 50 million gallon water project, he said.
Other PDM leaders said thousands are missing in Balochistan and they must be presented the before the court and action should be taken against them if they have committed any crime. Balochistan province has been deprived of fundamental rights from the very inception of the country. They said the PDM would help resolve the plights of the suppressed people of the country.
The PDM leaders also stressed the need of rule of law, and equal treatment with all federating units. The state institutions including the Army, Judiciary, Parliament, Media etc should perform duties under their defined constitutional jurisdictions for the development and prosperity of the country. The state's domestic policy should also be devolved in such a manner that could ensure all socio-economic, political and democratic rights to every ethnic group living in the country.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
Comments
Comments are closed.