Election 2018: Smashed 2-party nexus, claims PTI

Ag Agencies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said on Saturday that on July 25, PTI had broken the nexus between two political parties.

On the occasion of second anniversary of PTI’s coming into power after 2018 elections as the PTI is celebrating it as a thanksgiving day, it is said that Charter of Democracy (CoD) between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was signed to keep other parties out of power.

However, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari while addressing a press conference termed July 25, 2018 a black day when selected prime minister came into power as he said that the elections were controversial.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal said if elections 2018 had not been stolen, his party would have won 120 seats

In this regard, Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed said the leaders from opposition parties who challenge the legitimacy of the popularly elected present government should read the history of Pakistani politics to know how and by whom their leaders Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif were introduced.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the people of Pakistan remember how Zulfikar Ali Bhutto got himslef inducted in Sikander Mirza’s cabinet by writing a letter full of flattery and by which name he called Ayub Khan, after the latter came to power.

On his twitter handle, the foreign minister while recollecting 2018 general elections, the day people of the country voted PTI to form the next government, said 2 years ago today, PM Imran Khan (PTI) made history following an unrelenting 22-year struggle for a Pakistan that is just, honest, tolerant and progressive.

On the second anniversary of the 2018 general elections, the veteran PTI leader further posted that the people of Pakistan had voted PTI to achieve a vision of prosperous and progressive Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz said July 25, 2018 was a historic day in the country’s democratic history as on that day the people of Pakistan, including the PTI workers joined hands to lay the

foundation of a new thought process.

An outdated, privileged and corrupt system based on nepotism and favouritism was defeated in the general election on that day, he said while talking to the media.

The minister said the founders of the outdated system had only pursued their personal interests by ruining the national institutions and economy.

When the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) came to power, the country was mired in the debt trap, and was facing serious economic difficulties and challenges.

The nation under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said, set off on the path of reforms with a new determination.

PPP chairman said those, who announced not to give NRO to anyone, has given amnesties to more than anyone. “NRO to every kind of thief from sugar to wheat and from oil to Kulbhushan Jadhav were given. The person who was supposed to become our ambassador for Kashmir has become a lawyer of Kulbhushan Jadhav,” he said.

He said the institutions were made controversial in the last elections as these had never been made controversial in history of country. ”The selection was done on July 25, 2018 while the country is being ruled by puppets,” he said.

In elections 2018, he said the results had come even after three days and those results did not have any legal standing. “Polling agents were thrown out of polling stations and 90 percent of the Forms 45 are still not available and our institutions became controversial in these elections,” he said.

He said the military was deployed inside and outside polling stations as never before in the history of Pakistan and asked if military ever deployed inside the polling stations, not even in 2008 and 2013 elections. “When our candidates were being kidnapped and terrorism was at its peak, candidates were being murdered and my own election camp in Larkana was targeted. Even the journalists were not given access to the polling stations in 2018 elections,” he said.

Bilawal said Imran Khan was brought on the slogan of corruption-free Pakistan and it was said in PTI’s election manifesto that corruption will be eliminated in 90 days but now ask people of Pakistan about it. “Ask Transparency International which is saying that corruption in PTI government is unprecedented and this is the most corrupt government in history of Pakistan,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Imran Khan had said that he would not give relief (NRO) to anyone but he introduced the biggest amnesty for corrupt people. “There is corruption in every project like BRT, Malam Jabba, Billion Tree Tsunami etc. There is a clear case against the ministers and advisers who have declared their assets recently and a case of assets beyond means could easily be initiated against them,” he said.

He said, Our “new Sharifuddin Pirzada” says that he is working according to International Court of Justice so why the federal government has approached court in support of Kulbhushan Jadhav.

He said Imran Khan and his Sharifuddin Pirzada say that they did not need to talk to opposition so now they cannot pass the legislation without opposition.

He said the constitution says that any ordinance should be brought to the National Assembly as soon as possible and the National Assembly was in session in May, June and July but this government did not

bring this ordinance. “This is a violation of the constitution, which they cannot do,” he said.

The PPP chairman said that the Supreme Court ruling is that no person-specific legislation can be done but this government has the name of Kulbhushan Jadhav in this ordinance which makes it person-specific.

He said this government had a 60 days’ time to present this legislation in the National Assembly and during this time, neither the government nor Kulbhushan took any benefit from this. “Now this is the second effort by this government to bring person-specific legislation,” he said adding if there was nothing wrong, why the government hid the ordinance from Parliament.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the PPP has never compromised on national interest, human rights and international laws. “This government did not contact the opposition because this is apolitical and puppet government. For important legislations, consensus has to be built,” he said.

He said this government turns every crisis into a catastrophe and it has not fulfilled a single promise made in its manifesto.

He said corruption was not eliminated in 90 days, South Punjab province was not made in 100 days, not a single house was built of promised five million houses and not a single job was made available despite promising ten million new jobs. “This government has rendered people homeless and millions have been laid off,” he said.

PPP chairman said the PTI manifesto had promised devolution but in KP, Punjab and Balochistan local governments have been sent packing by PTI.

He said that Sindh is the only province where local governments are still working and will complete their tenure in August this year. “IG Police are continuously changed in KP, Punjab and Islamabad and the IG in Islamabad was changed just because cattle had entered a house of a minister,” he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Imran Khan had to change the Prime Minister’s House and governor houses into universities but he did not do the same. “He was supposed to travel on a bicycle but is using a helicopter,” he said.

He said Imran Khan has taken a U-turn from all of his promises. “He is ruling the country in the time of a pandemic, which has put every Pakistani’s health and life in danger,” he said.

Responding to questions, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that they demand level playing field for every political party and every political party should have the political freedom.

He said the PPP has always fulfilled its responsibility as opposition and it is legacy of the party that they always fulfill that responsibility,” he said.

He said Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto fulfilled the responsibility of opposition with only 17 seats in the National Assembly. “We think that PPP was always victimised in every election in Pakistan. We had accepted 2008 election results in protest,” he said.

He said the every opposition party is doing its job. “The government is bringing fake JITs against us and we are also facing NAB,” he said.

PPP chairman said the PML-N is also playing its role as opposition and the leader of opposition will preside over the APC of opposition parties, which will be held after Eidul Azha.

He said that he had a very detailed discussion with Akhtar Mengal about the issues facing Pakistan and will ask opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif to invite Akhtar Mengal to formally join the opposition.

The PPP chairman said if the government makes attempts to touch the 18th Amendment and NFC award, the government would be in the court of the people.

In reply to yet another question, he said after the Supreme Court verdict, the NAB should be disbanded, as it is tool for political engineering.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML N) Secretary General and former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhry said that seats of PML N were stolen in the previous election adding that the rigging was done in election with the help of ballot box and consequences of this are being faced from last two years.

While addressing a press conference in Lahore on the occasion of the two years completion of 2018 elections, Ahsan Iqbal said that prior to the closure of the RTS system the PML-N was winning and after failure of RTS the seats of PML-N were decreased. He said that the on 25th July the PML-N seats were decreased from 120 to 80 adding that they have been facing the consequences of this theft from last two years. He said that the rigging in election was committed through ballot box.