Battling govt within constitutional remit

CHARSADDA/ LAHORE: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday said that they are struggling within the lawful limits and Constitution. “Don’t take the situation to the point of no return,” he stressed.

Accusing rulers of furthering foreign agenda, the Maulana vowed to oust what he said the most incompetent government by December.

“The people have been forced to committing suicides and are selling their children during the tenure of the incompetent government installed by the military establishment through rigging,” he said.

The Maulana was speaking at a gathering arranged here in Uthmanzai Town where a former district president of the Awami National Party and KP ex-minister for law, Barrister Arshad Abdullah, quit his party and joined the JUI-F. Party’s Secretary-General Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, provincial chief Maulana Ataur Rehman and central leader Haji Ghulam Ali were present on the occasion.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said there was a consensus in the entire country that the present rulers had brought destruction to the motherland and had made life miserable for the poor people. “We want supremacy of parliament and civilian rule in the country,” he said.

“The power mongers have imposed an incompetent person on the country and brought miseries to the hundreds of millions of people,” said Maulana.

The JUI chief said his party had offered sacrifices to win freedom for the country and was still struggling to free the motherland from the clutches of the present rulers. The JUI chief said efforts were being made to bully them. “But wecannot be bullied as we are not weak. We will prove to be hard nuts to crack for them,” he warned.

Maulana said people would come in droves to the PDM first public meeting in Gujranwala scheduled for October 16. “A movement has been set into motion and we will take it to its logical end,” he pledged and added that they (rulers) would not remain in power till December.

Maulana said the 40th death anniversary of the JUI founder Maulana Mufti Mahmood was being marked today. “His caravan of supporters is stronger today compared to the past,” he added.

The JUI chief said Maulana Mufti Mahmood’s ideology and movement were still fully active and his party role could not be discounted. Barrister Arshad Abdullah announced joining the JUI along with his family, friends and supporters. He vowed to work for strengthening the party.

Meanwhile, PDM Secretary General Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the government's panic over one public meeting has exposed its reality. Addressing a press conference following the PDM meeting, he said that PTI regime knows its public worth so, it is resorting to tactics to sabotage the PDM public meeting.

Abbasi said blocking roads with containers, raiding corner meetings, arresting PDM workers across Punjab and harassing PDM supporters won't deter the spirit of the masses who have decided to rid the country of this disastrous government.

He said the PDM has a constitutional right to hold a public meeting. He said people are struggling to feed their families because of the unprecedented inflation and unemployment created by this government.

The former prime minister told the district administration, the DC Gujranwala, the Police chief Gujranwala and other civil administrative officials that they do not serve the PTI. He said the administration should remember that they serve the constitution of Pakistan and all actions to prevent the PDM's constitutional rights will lead to disciplinary and legal action against them. Abbasi urged them not to become an instrument of the selected government's political victimisation.

Abbasi said no amount of threats, harassment or containers can stop the massive flood of Pakistanis participating in the October 16 public meeting.

PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said the government is shaking over the first public meeting which goes to show how confident it is about itself. He reminded the PTI cabinet and spokespersons' statements boasting that they don't care and won't interfere. But he said the PTI government is doing all it can to harass and sabotage the upcoming congregation. He mentioned that the factory of the PML-N Youth Wing leader Shoaib Butt was raided by the police and the staff was harassed. He said the journalists who went to cover that raid were also baton-charged by the police and their equipment was damaged.

Ahsan said such fascist tactics have been the hallmark of this selected government ever since it was imposed on Pakistan. Those who paralysed the nation's capital for over 3 months are giving sermons to the PDM, he said.

The failures and disasters of this Imran-led mafia regime have driven the nation against the wall and now they have decided to take to the streets and oust these incompetent and corrupt looters.

PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah said the PTI government which bragged about its public power has stooped lower than dictatorial regimes. He said the PTI government is pressuring Gujranwala administration officials to constantly disrupt all activities related to the October 16 public meeting. He pointed out that in its panic, the government has confiscated containers loaded with raw materials for Ghee Mills, which is creating another crisis after the already existing sugar and wheat crisis.

He said the PDM public meeting is a peaceful exercise of constitutional rights of freedom of expression. He warned that if this constitutional action is hindered by coercion, it would have dire consequences.

PML-N lnformation Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb said that on October 16, all the obstructing containers will vanish just like the army of rented mouthpieces of this government. N “No matter what Imran Khan and his rented mouthpieces say or do, the Gujranwala public meeting will be a resounding success,” she said.

The former information minister said a flood of PDM supporters will pour in Gujranwala. These people who have been denied their basic constitutional rights will express their reaction and will not be deterred by the shallow tactics of this government. They will reach Gujranwala for the support of the constitution, democracy and freedom of media and national institutions. They can't stop the Gujranwala public meeting, she challenged. Raids on corner meetings, arrests, harassment and threats can't contain this mass public outrage against the selected Imran-led mafia government, she said.

She said the government is filing cases against PDM workers in the name of COVID-19 protocols violation. Where were these protocols when PTI's public meeting was held in Liaquat Bagh, she questioned. Was coronavirus locked up in Bani Gala at that time? She asked.

She said the people of Pakistan should know that these are the last jolts of inflation because this government won't last to trouble them any further. It's time for the selected government to pack up and leave, she said. If Imran is so confident about his dominant public support, why is he and his government panicking and making arrangements to sabotage the PDM Gujranwala public meeting, she asked.

Marriyum said the entire Gujranwala division has become an arena for the PDM public meeting and the verdict of the people of Pakistan will be announced on October 16.

The PDM does not need anyone's permission to practice its constitutional rights, she said. All arrangements for the October 16 public meeting have been completed. The bafflement of this government is a proof that it knows its time is up, she concluded.