Opposition in Senate concedes it’s time for tough decisions

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition and PTI Senator Dr Shahzad Waseem conceded in the Senate Friday it was time to take difficult decisions for the country’s economy after holding free and transparent elections.

Speaking on a point of public importance, he slammed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for his recent interview to Al-Arabiya television, wherein he talked of peace with India. The PTI senator insisted people should be allowed to give mandate for a stable government to take the country forward.

He quoted from Shehbaz Sharif’s interview that Pakistan had learnt its lessons in three wars with India, regretting that these wars had caused more devastation. “He begged peace with India on his knees. But peace can’t be earned this way. Peace comes by standing on own feet and from the position of strength and having faith in oneself,” Senator Shahzad contended.

He claimed the nation had rejected this behaviour of the prime minister. India had made progress and witnessed prosperity despite these wars, he added. The PTI lawmaker said nations are destroyed by the conduct of rulers and their corruption, not by waging wars for self-pride and dignity. He remarked “peace can’t be achieved by being apologetic.”

Referring to the last meeting of the federal cabinet, he said considering the 80-plus members cabinet, he thought it would have met in a stadium. He claimed it was just talk and no decisions were made in relation to the poor economic situation.

He lamented LCs were not being opened and traders and industrialists had offered keys to the SBP governor to run their businesses, while it was unclear whether petrol was available for seven or 10 more days. And in such a situation, the rulers economy was confined to begging for some dollars or rollovers. The rulers, he alleged, still wanted to rely on weakening of institutions and 40 to 45-year-old system to go on. “If a judge gave them some relief and decided in their favour, then on his retirement, offer him a key post,” he said. He regretted the Election Commission had not been able to announce the Sindh LG poll results even after passage of 48 hours.

Responding to him, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi charged that former PTI premier and the government kept sleeping, totally oblivious to the country’s problems. Their own allies rejected them and they were ousted through a no-confidence vote, he said.

He claimed no major project was launched during the PTI tenure and even the development projects were not taken forward which were initiated by then PMLN government. In this connection, he referred to Pakistan Railways’ ML-I project and said its cost had gone up by over 60 per cent and the same was true for the proposed construction of jail in Islamabad.

The minister contended elections would be held on time and the nation would hold the PTI accountable for their four-year performance. The government under Imran Khan secured unprecedented loans, but no decision was made for the country’s well-being, he added.

“The PTI played havoc with the country and even enemies could not cause such devastation. And now when the country is faced with grave economic challenges, they are engaged in triggering political unrest which one can’t expect from anyone,” he maintained.

The minister alleged the PTI and its leadership had nothing to do with the country’s challenges, as they had their own interests than Pakistan’s economic interests.

He explained how the PTI was imposed on the country in 2018 and said even today, Imran and others had not adopted a democratic conduct. He advised them to wait for five years after having been thrown out of power through a no-confidence vote.

The minister asked what was the need to dissolve the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly where the PTI had remained in power for nine years and the Punjab Assembly. The only objective was political unrest and instability to impede Pakistan’s economic progress.

The House will now meet on Monday afternoon.