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Friday March 29, 2024

Opposition should call off rallies: PM Imran Khan

By Asim Yasin & Muhammad Saleh Zaafir & Mumtaz Alvi
November 28, 2020

Opposition should call off rallies: PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) should call off its rallies as the corona situation in Pakistan is worsening each day.

However, the opposition has rejected the call of the government, arguing that the rallies will go ahead as the incumbent government is more dangerous than corona. The prime minister said this while chairing a meeting of government spokespersons and party leaders, local media reported.

The premier said the PDM’s rallies to protect its looted wealth make no political difference but the public is being left at the mercy of the virus, while their own leader is hiding in London. Imran Khan said that the rest of the world is engaged in fighting coronavirus but the opposition is making a mockery of the nation by holding public rallies. He termed the opposition’s movement as anti-people, and said that it would only harm the public and the economy, not the government. He said that due to personal interests, the opposition does not care about the public. “No matter how many rallies they conduct, they will not be given NRO,” he added.

The premier once again rejected the impression of recognition of Israel being under consideration and said that it is out of the question until the Palestinian issue is resolved.

Imran Khan said that Pakistan is following the policy guideline given by Quaid-i-Azam regarding Israel. “Pakistan is not recognising Israel and until the Palestinians are given their due rights, recognition of Israel is unfathomable,” he said.

The PM said that the government’s measures have decreased inflation and steps are being taken to reduce it even further. Meanwhile, Imran Khan Friday reiterated his government resolve to continue raising the issue of Kashmir at the global fora and that in future, talks on Kashmir would be trilateral, including Kashmiris.

He directed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) AJK President Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry to start the campaign for upcoming elections in the region. To this effect, former prime minister of Azad Kashmir and President PTI Kashmir Barrister Sultan Mehmood had a one-on-one meeting with Imran Khan.

“We stand with Kashmiris and we will continue to support them at every level. We will raise our voice at every forum against the ongoing Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir and bring India to a defensive position,” he said.

“We will continue our efforts at the international level for the right of Kashmiris to self-determination,” the prime minister maintained. Barrister Sultan Mehmood congratulated Imran Khan on the victory of PTI in Gilgit-Baltistan elections and also briefed him on the political situation in Azad Kashmir, the efforts to be made in the forthcoming elections in Azad Kashmir and the organisational matters of the party.

The prime minister said that although they campaigned late in Gilgit-Baltistan, in Azad Kashmir the PTI will start working on it now. On this occasion, the Prime Minister directed the President of PTI Kashmir to start the election campaign of PTI in Azad Kashmir from now on.

Meanwhile, in a meeting with delegation of leading industrialists of the country, Imran Khan said the development and prosperity of the country was linked to the development of the industrial sector and business community.

He noted that the suggestions of the industrialists were being incorporated in the government decision-making process, which was having a positive impact. The delegation included Azam Farooq (Charat Cement), Bashir Ali Mohammad (Gul Ahmed), Muhammad Ali Taba (Lucky Cement), Saqib Shirazi (Honda Atlas), Fawad Mukhtar (Fatima Fertilizer), Arif Habib (Arif Habib Group Limited) and Hussain Daud (Engro Corporation).

Participants of the delegation thanked the prime minister and said that business activities have started yielding positive results under the auspices of the government. Meanwhile, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Secretary General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari said that the jiyalas had thrown out dictator General Musharraf, and the puppet rulers could never stop them from holding the November 30 rally in Multan. “The public rally in Multan will take place at any cost,” he added.

Meanwhile, the PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah said while talking to media that the people of the country want to get rid of the government despite the corona threat. Meanwhile, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has asked the government to bring its policy on dealing with the corona virus in public.