Stabilising economy, not polls, crucial: Fazl

SAHIWAL: Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF), said on Sunday not elections but stabilisation of the national economy was the need of the hour.

Addressing the media in Sahiwal, he said all the political parties in the PDM alliance were always ready for elections, but betterment of economy was a matter that should be addressed first.

He said the countries with unstable economies fail to sustain as independent nations. He made it clear that his party, JUIF, had been fighting for elections for three-and-a-half years.

The Maulana said it would be very difficult for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province to implement the proposed election schedule at the end of January next year due to severe cold weather conditions.

To a question by the media, the JUIF chief said the whole system of caretaker government was unsuitable. However, he added in a lighter vein that another overseer was actually taking care of the government.

He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was responsible for the present situation in the country. The PTI leadership was responsible for the foreign exchange reserves falling to as low as $2 billion, he alleged.

The Maulana said the PTI government pushed the economy into a difficult situation. On the other hand, the PDM government raised the foreign exchange reserves to $11 billion in a year and a half.

Fazl said the PTI leaders were still facing cases in the court due to their wrongdoings. He said Imran Khan proved through his actions that he was incompetent. He said Pakistan’s friendly countries would not help it until there was talk of the PTI coming to power again.

About the arrival of Mian Nawaz Sharif, he said he should be warmly welcomed by all. The Maulana said the PDM alliance was inactive currently; therefore, Nawaz Sharif himself would make his welcome arrangements.

To another question, Fazl said the current terrorism wave had sent a message to the world that Pakistan was not a peaceful country.