Opposition’s play can wrap up system: Shah Mehmood Qureshi

MULTAN/ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Sunday the opposition parties’ agitation could possibly lead to the rollback of the system.

Talking to the media at Raza Hall, he said: "If a tradition of toppling governments through rallies is set, it would be hard to run the system in the future. If opposition achieves its goals, who will allow you to work in the present situation,” he said.

Qureshi said Prime Minister Imran Khan had held a series of mammoth gatherings in his lone capacity. He said the PDM show in Gujranwala disappointed people and they started leaving the meeting before its conclusion. He said the PML-N workers also started leaving during Bilawal’s speech.

He said masses were alienated in the Gujranwala PDM meeting, which fully exposed the bad state of eleven parties’ alliance. Qureshi said the chairs were empty when the PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman started his speech. The minister wondered how someone could remove the government before December, adding no one could remove an elected government through rallies and public meetings.

“People are very much clear PTI is not responsible for the grave financial crisis the country is facing. This crisis did not evolve in two years. These 11 parties do not have a magic wand to solve problems. Economic revival is being thwarted,” he added.

“The alliance of these parties is unnatural as their leaders and flags are not common. Anxiety and fear are behind the creation of PDM to save the leadership from corruption cases,” he remarked. Soon the alliance would break apart, he predicted.

Qureshi said the PPP has been ruling Sindh for the last 12 years. He asked PPP: “How many times will you get votes in the name of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto?” The PPP workers were stunned in Gujranwala meeting by slogans in favour of Nawaz Sharif. The PPP workers knew they were being used in this alliance, he said.

Qureshi said institutions should not be targeted at the cost of fulfilling temporary vested interest. He advised the opposition parties to express their narrative in a civilised manner. “The masses are aware when the state is targeted’, he added.

He expressed his sorrow over the Karsaz tragedy. He lamented the then PPP government failed in getting the Benazir Bhutto’s assassins convicted. He said the government did not control NAB as accountability was not government’s business.

“If Mian Nawaz Sharif can walk, move easily and deliver speech, it means he has staged a drama to move abroad. The fact of going out for treatment stands exposed to the public,” he said.

He said Bilawal did not speak about Kashmir in his speech. He advised Bilawal not to become a part of an “Indian narrative.” Bilawal had little knowledge of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations, Qureshi added.

He said: “What Bilawal will teach me? I belong to the Quraish tribe which belongs to Arabs.” He said no one was curious about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and asked Bilawal, “Where did you learn lessons from. The CPEC is on its way.”

He said that Pakistan's armed forces were being targeted which cannot be the agenda of any Pakistani. “Some forces want to shatter the dignity of the Army from the hearts of Pakistanis. Pakistani forces are foiling conspiracies of international forces. Had Pak Army not defeated terrorism, you wouldn’t have been holding rallies freely. Had not helped in the coronavirus crisis, things would have been much worse,” he said.

“If there is a flood or earthquake, only the Army is called in. If the institutions you criticise are not there, you wouldn’t have been able to fight against mafias in Karachi,” he added. He questioned the opposition who was being served by criticising the judiciary.

Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shibli Faraz said the government had always supported a meaningful political dialogue with the opposition parties on the issues being confronted by the country and the people.

The government had welcomed an issues-based constructive criticism by the opposition and its cooperation on legislation in the Parliament as it was imperative to create a healthy political culture in the country without compromising on basic political ideology and above personal interests, he said while talking to a private news channel.

The minister said to materialize the prime minister’s popular political vision in that regard, they would not even hesitate to visit the home of Nawaz Sharif for the betterment of the people. It was need of the time for all political stakeholders to jointly face the common challenge of dearness and put the national economy back on track, he stressed.

Shibli Faraz said the government had the responsibility to keep the people informed about the opposition’s misleading and ill-motivated narrative against the national institutions. “Creating political uncertainty in the country would only affect the economy and not the government,” he added.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Shibli Faraz said that PDM is holding powerless and directionless shows. He said the opposition parties have nothing to do with the issues of general masses as they are busy in crying over their personal interests.

Meanwhile, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is now remembering democracy after facing failure at all fronts. Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, the minister said the narrative of the former PM was not a saleable commodity anymore. He said that speeches by Nawaz Sharif were not meant for the supremacy of democracy and the civilian rule as they were delivered only to protect his corrupt money and seek political amnesty. He said that Nawaz had a clash with the institutions of the country and he had no personal problem with anyone. Politics of Nawaz Sharif were based on his clash with the institutions.

Asad Umar said Nawaz lacked any authority or basis to raise questions now when the apex judiciary had thrown him out from the post of the country’s premiership after declaring him a liar and dishonest person. The minister said Nawaz is a convicted prisoner, who had escaped from the country and had taken refuge in London. He recalled that Nawaz had moved to the Supreme Court against the then PM Yusuf Raza Gilani that led to his ouster.

He said that Nawaz had done politics of blackmail to seek an NRO for his family but his (Nawaz Sharif’s) blackmailing had failed as Parliament was able to pass the legislation related to the FATF.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said the nation has rejected anti-Pakistan narrative of Nawaz Sharif. During a meeting with Sahiwal delegation, the PML-Q leader said that Nawaz Sharif is trying to harm the dignity of the country he belongs to.

He said the PML-N leaders verbally raise slogan of democracy but in reality, they flee the country to protect their corruption. Meanwhile, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill said the nation was proud of its armed forces, which were protecting the geographical boundaries of the motherland, adding that the brave armed forces had presented great sacrifices for the country. “Our Army is our defence,” Shahbaz Gill said.

Talking to media, he said the Gujranwala gathering was a circus which was staged two days ago to protect the looted wealth. Gill said Maryam Nawaz had been disqualified by the courts and she staged a drama in the guise of a public meeting.

He said that Nawaz Sharif disliked several chief justices as well. He said Nawaz also developed differences with four army chiefs during his tenure. Adviser to Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Barrister Mirza Shahzad Akbar asked the PML-N leadership to apologise nation on breaching the sanctity of the Mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi.

In a tweet, he said the same corrupt clique had already committed the same crime of rupturing the sanctity of Supreme Court, Parliament and national institutes in past. "The character of this man (former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif) was questionable since nineties,” he said.

In another tweet, he said, if all the things said by Maryam Nawaz are correct then why her father ousted Pervaiz Rashid and PIO in DawnLeaks, why did PML-N voted in Assembly, and why Muhammad Zubair was sent with messages. He said the fact is that both children (Bilawal and Maryam) are seeking NRO which they won’t get.

Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar while addressing a corner meeting in Taxila urged the public to beware of black sheep in their surroundings and foil nefarious designs of anti-state elements by forging greater unity among their ranks.

Expressing serious concerns over the recent statements of Nawaz Sharif, the minister said he (Nawaz) was lucky enough that no action had so far been taken against him. Sarwar said Nawaz’s statements tantamount to betrayal with the country.

Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry said that the friends of outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were supervising the rally in Karachi on 13th anniversary of Karsaz tragedy.

In a statement, the minister said that on this day in 2007, 180 people were martyred as blasts rocked a rally held to accord warm welcome to PPP leader Benazir Bhutto in Karachi. TTP had claimed the responsibility of the attacks, he added.

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan said that the situation has compelled the PPP to do disloyalty and treason against its ideology and its martyrs.

In his statement, Chohan said that the innocent PPP activists were martyred in the hands of Taliban back in October 18, 2007, while TTP’s spiritual and ideological guardian was presiding the Karachi rally. Chohan said that the personal interests of Zardari’s family have put Bhutto ideology and political thought into dustbin.