MULTAN: Former Prime Minister and Senator Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said on Wednesday that democratic sustainability in the country was possible only by conducting free and fair elections.
Addressing a worker convention here, he said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) always supported free and fair elections to ensure sustainable democratic system in the country.
He said that election reforms were need of the hour to make elections free and fair.
Gilani added that when Chief Justice of Pakistan asked Chairman PPP Bilawal Butto Zardari about holding the elections, the Chairman PPP had then highlighted the need for comprehensive election reforms.
Talking about the conspiracy allegations of Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan regarding no-confidence motion, Gilani said, it was the first no-confidence in country’s history that was successful against the prime minister.
He said, being aware of the results of no-confidence motion, Imran Khan deliberately decreased prices of oil and electricity to create hurdles for the next government.
Gilani said that international agreements are not made with any political party but with the country and the governments should honour them.
He said that the incumbent government was bound to fulfill the requirements of the agreements with International Monetary Funds (IMF) made by the former Prime Minister Imran Khan otherwise the country could have faced worst scenario.
He said that Imran Khan only wanted prime ministership again but his statements were against the country.
Quoting some statements of Imran Khan, Gilani recalled how he (Imran) made futile attempts to portray himself as indispensable for the country’s survival.
Gilani said that he was elected as prime minister with majority of votes of the assembly adding that even the 42 votes of opposition were cast in his favor.
However, he added, he resigned after court decision and did not avail the right of appeal. He said, almost all members of the assembly were in support but he honored the decision of court.
He said that when Zulifqar Ali Butto was martyred, a presidential reference was filed in the court by PPP adding that murder case of Shaheed Benazir Butto was also in the court.
He said that when he was elected as senator with a lead of 16 votes then president of Pakistan asked the then Prime Minister Imran Khan to get vote of confidence in which he remained successful because he had released development funds worth Rs 500 million to each Member National Assembly.
He said that the Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf called PTI MNAs to confirm their signatures on resignations but none of them did so before the speaker. He questioned, why then Zain Hussain Qureshi was contesting the by-elections as MPA candidate while holding the seat of MNA.
He said that PTI was against the hereditary politics but it prevailed in the party as Shah Mahmood Qureshi awarded ticket to his son Zain Hussain Qureshi for by-elections in PP-217. He said that PTI had claimed to offer employment to 10 million youth, houses to five million people but they removed people from jobs and made them shelterless.
He said that the upcoming by-elections were very important for the country and urged masses to take decision for strengthening country and its institutions.
On this occasion, he welcomed different people for announcing their support for PDM candidates in the upcoming by-elections. He claimed that PTI candidates would be defeated in the by-elections but Chairman PTI would refuse to accept the results.
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