PESHAWAR: The opposition parties have expressed serious concerns over inclusion of cabinet members of previous PPP and PML-N government ministers and advisers in the federal cabinet, as a result of recent shuffle in the federal cabinet by Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying they 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 to launching an anti-government campaign after Ramazan.The PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the appointment of federal minister accused of a role in the killing of Daniel Pearl and Benazir Bhutto, will give a message to entire Pakistan and the outside world that Pakistani ministers are supporters of terrorists and have links with the banned outfits. “If you want to send this message to world, please go ahead, but I believe this would be very damaging to the country, national security, 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 the banned outfits now,” Bilawal said while talking to the media after inaugurating the Bone Marrow Transplant unit at Dow University of Health Sciences, Ojha campus.
He said 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 appointed a person accused of high profile murders and links with terrorists and banned outfits is 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. He said all conspiracies against the 18th Amendment would fail. “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, hospitals and provide 50pc less employment to our people due to theft of our funds by centre, which is not acceptable,” Bilawal said. Bilawal claimed that Naya Pakistan is emerging in Sindh where free of charge, quality heart, bone marrow transplant, renal and liver transplant facilities are being provided to people. “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 form 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.
Fazl said the current situation has proved that the PTI government is fake and it did not have the public mandate and support. He said neither Prime Minister Imran Khan nor his team are capable of running the government. He said some of the new ministers were inducted into the federal cabinet so they could be used as approvers against Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and other political leaders later on. He added that such people were made ministers who were accused of massive corruption in the previous governments. The JUI-F chief said efforts are under way to form a technocrats’ government in the country. The Maulana said efforts are being made to introduce presidential form of the government once again in the country. But the political forces are united to foil all such efforts, he added. He alleged that Shah Mehmood Qureshi has also failed as the foreign minister, saying he is not capable of running the important ministry. Fazl said all opposition parties are 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 a total of Rs15 billion loan was acquired on a daily basis during the last eight months of the current government. “Such heavy loans were not taken during the last 30 years.
Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) head Senator Sirajul Haq said the PTI government has failed at all fronts and the country is fast plunging into a crisis-like situation.
