PPP Co-chairman visits JI HQ: Zardari, Siraj agree masses want Imran govt’s ouster

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer Sirajul Haq Thursday agreed that people worst hit by inflation wanted immediate ouster of the Imran Khan government.

He visited the JI headquarters Mansoora and discussed with Sirajul Haq the prevailing political situation in the country, proposed no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the regional situation for about one-and-a-half hours.

Briefing the media, JI naib ameer Liaquat Baloch and former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf held a joint press conference. They told the media both sides agreed that in the last around four years, the PTI government not only crushed masses under inflation and unemployment, with its incompetence and bad governance, but also pushed the country towards civil war by destroying the institutions, befooling the nation with false promises, passing laws in undemocratic and unconstitutional manner which severely affected the country's sovereignty, integrity, rule of law and freedom of expression.

They said both leaders expressed strong concerns that people had fed up with the economic and constitutional crises, inflicted by the Imran Khan government, and desperately wanted to get rid of the incumbent government. The government, instead of reducing the crises and taking it seriously, the government focused all its efforts on targeting the opposition. They emphasised that local bodies and general elections must be held in a free and transparent manner to avoid further damage to the country.

Asif Zardari was accompanied by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Rukhsana Bangash and others, while Liaquat Baloch, JI Secretary General Ameerul Azim, Qaisar Sharif and others were also present. Sirajul Haq welcomed the guests and agreed to continue contacts in future.

Sirajul Haq said the PTI bypassed the parliament and introduced frequent presidential ordinances against the spirit of the Constitution and democracy, and depriving people of constitutional freedom and basic needs.

The leaders of both parties said the government, instead of focusing on institution building and providing relief to masses, targeted the opposition parties. They believed the country could not move forward without establishment of the rule of law and strengthening democratic values.

Baloch said the PPP had sought support of the JI for the major opposition parties’ proposed no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. He added the JI would discuss it in its Majlis-e-Shura, scheduled for Friday. The JI, he said, would decide on the issue after consultation, adding that bringing no-confidence was the constitutional right of the opposition parties. He said the PTI government created constitutional and economic crises in the country, jeopardised country’s security by handing over the State Bank of Pakistan to the IMF. He said Sirajul Haq conveyed to the PPP leadership that the JI would not support any extra-constitutional move and it believed in the supremacy of Constitution. He said the contacts among the political parties were vital to strengthen democracy. He said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and other senior leaders had also visited Mansoorah.

Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said the PPP was launching a long march from Feb 27 and it would also protest on streets against the government, sending it packing with a no-confidence motion in the assemblies. He said the PPP had sought support of the JI for its long-march and no-trust move against the prime minister. The leaders also offered Fateha for former interior minister Rehman Malik.