PDM struggle to continue till ouster of PTI govt: Shahid Khaqan

TAXILA: Former prime minister and central Leader of PML-N Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday said Pakistan Democratic Movement`s (PDM) struggle would continue till departure of the PTI government. Talking to media persons in Taxila in the marriage ceremony of sons of Arshad Abbasi on Sunday, he said the PDM would now rest only after sending the incumbent government home. The PML-N leader said the people, who had understanding of the cause and were determined to put their efforts for it, wouldn’t create situation on petty things. He said that the PDM was bound to succeed since people of the country would stand by it.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi maintained that the joy in government’s camp on the development within the PDM ranks was misplaced as it has the capacity to overcome its complexities through its own mechanism. He said the heads of the PDM parties meeting would be scheduled next week and till then informal consultations of the leader would continue to hammer out the national issues. He said the PDM struggle had entered in a decisive phase and fear in the statements of Prime Minister Imran Khan and his spokespersons was clearly visible.

Abbasi said the sitting rulers had devastated the country economically, socially and politically and the situation demanded that a decisive struggle be started against the sitting regime. Dissolution of illegal and incompetent government of PTI was voice of every Pakistani, he added.

He said the PTI government had completely failed on all fronts, and the government`s economic affairs were being run by people of IMF and the World Bank.

Meanwhile, scores of office-bearers and workers of PML-N staged a protest rally on Sunday at Taxila Chowk against price-hike.

Led by Divisional President and former member Punjab Assembly Umer Farooq, former candidate National Assembly Barrister Ageel Malik led the protest rally while marching through GT Road. They raised slogans against the government for being unable to control the price-hike.

Participants were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans: `bring down prices of essential commodities`, `let the poor live`. They said the government had failed to fulfill their promises made to the people during the election campaign.

Addressing the participants, Umer Farooq said the prices of the items of daily use such as flour, sugar, pulses, vegetables, sugar and petroleum had gone out of the buying capacity of the people. He said the people, who earlier had to struggle for a 10kg flour bag in long queues, were now finding it difficult to get even 1kg sugar.

Barrister Ageel Malik, while speaking on the occasion, said those who created the shortage of flour and increased the price of sugar were all sitting in the power corridor.

He said that instead of giving relief to the poor, more and more perks were being given to the elite class.