Ag Agencies
PESHAWAR: The opposition parties have expressed serious concerns over inclusion of previous PPP and PML-N government ministers and advisers in the federal cabinet in the recent reshuffle made by Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying that these people can be used as approvers against Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari and other opposition leaders in cases against them.
Declaring the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government a total failure, they demanded Imran Khan quit the government and pave the way for new elections in the country. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman have agreed on launching an anti-government campaign after Ramazan.PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that appointment of federal minister, who were accused of having role in the killing of Daniel Pearl to Benazir Bhutto, will give a message to entire Pakistan and the outside world that Pakistani ministers are supporters of terrorists and have links with banned outfits.
“If you want to send this message to world, please go ahead, but I believe that this would be very devastating for the country, national security, our foreign policy and our fragile economy.
“I have no personal enmity with such ministers. But I believe that it would not be good for the country if we are able to give a clear message that we have nothing to do with banned outfits now,” Bilawal said while talking to the media after inaugurating the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) Ojha campus.
He said that after tensions with India, the PTI government changed its stance towards terrorism and banned outfits and removed two of the ministers from the cabinet, who had links with the banned outfits, but appoint of a person who is accused of high profile murders and links with terrorists, banned outfits was not in the favour of the country and its people.
Bilawal made it clear that the PPP would not accept any change in the parliamentary system of governance in the country.
“Today, I have been told that we are being given 50 per cent less money from our dues, which means that we would open 50 per cent less schools, 50pc less hospitals and 50pc less employment to our people due to theft of our funds by centre, which is not acceptable for us,” Bilawal said.
He claimed that Naya Pakistan was emerging in Sindh province where free of charge, quality heart facilities, bone marrow transplant facilities, renal and liver transplant facilities were being provided to people.
He said all conspiracies against the 18th Amendment would fail. “We are taking revolutionary steps in the health sector because the PPP wants to serve people.”
Separately, PPP senior leader Khursheed Shah said Prime Minister Imran Khan, while inducting Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, has accepted the PPP policy. He said elected people are hurt when unelected people are included in the cabinet.
Also, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced Islamabad lockdown after Ramazan and asked the government to quit immediately as it had proved a total failure in nine months of its rule.
Addressing a crowded news conference at party’s provincial secretariat, he also announced staging a million march in Khyber district on Sunday (today).
He also opposed the bid to introduce presidential system in the country and termed it the worst shape of dictatorship. “The government must accept its failure and
Prime Minister Imran Khan should quit power to pave the way for fresh election,” he added.
He said that the current situation in the country had proved that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was a fake one and it did not have public mandate and support. He said that neither Prime Minister Imran Khan nor his team were capable of running the government.
He said some of the new ministers were inducted into the federal cabinet so that they could be used as approvers against the political leaders later on. He added that such people were made ministers who had been accused of massive corruption in the previous governments.
The JUI-F chief said that efforts were under way to form a technocrats’ government in the country.
He alleged that Shah Mehmood Qureshi had also failed as foreign minister, saying that he was not capable of running the important ministry.
He said that all opposition parties were united in demanding fresh polls in a fair and transparent manner. “The country is confronting the worst economic as well as political crises at present,” he said, adding that a total of Rs15 billion loan was acquired on a daily basis during the last eight months of the current government.
“Such heavy loans had not been taken during the last 30 years. But only during the last eight months, such a huge amount of money was taken as loan,” he said.
The Maulana said efforts were being made to introduce presidential form of the government once again in the country. But the political forces were united to foil all such efforts, he added.
The Maulana said that soon after Ramazan, millions of people would march on Islamabad and lock the federal capital till the dissolution of the government. He also announced that the JUI-F would hold a million march at the historic Bab-e-Khyber in Khyber tribal district today (Sunday).
Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) head Senator Sirajul Haq said on Saturday Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government had failed at all fronts and the country was fast plunging into crisis-like situation.