ISLAMABAD: Former chairman Senate and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) stalwart Mian Raza Rabbani said that President Dr Arif Alvi should leave the office over the issue of the reference filed against Justice Qazi Faez Isa.
Addressing a news conference on Wednesday accompanied by other party leaders, Sherry Rehman, Sussi Palijo and Maula Bux, Raza Rabbani said that the Supreme Court’s verdict had exposed the government, adding that Article 89 was not kept in mind, while moving the reference against the Supreme Court judge.
“It was clearly stated in the judgment that the president did not fulfil his constitutional responsibilities. The president attacked the judiciary without fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities. After this decision, the president himself should have resigned,” he said.
He said that the President’s House had been turned into an ordinance factory, and the Parliament was being insulted and made worthless.
He said, “The Parliament is being bulldozed and the opposition is not being taken into confidence on any issue.”
He said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was trying to grab the islands belonging to Sindh and Balochistan provinces, as he blasted the current setup for acting against the provinces’ constitutional powers.
Senator Raza Rabbani said that the president had promulgated an ordinance regarding the islands. This ordinance is a violation of the Constitution, which is an attempt to bring the islands of Sindh and Balochistan under the federation, he claimed.
He said that there was a decision of the Sindh High Court in which the islands were declared the property of the provinces.
The PPP leader warned that the country was moving towards one-unit system with the powers of provinces being curbed.
Noting that attempts are under way to make all the institutions subservient to a person, he warned that the country was “heading towards fascism”.
He said that restrictions were being imposed on media.
About the issue of prioritization, the former Senate chairman termed the privatization process of the PTI government illegal.
He cited the example of the PIA-owned Roosevelt Hotel, and said the privatisation had been approved by the federal cabinet which was not the appropriate forum for the move. He said that the issue of inflation was part of the list of the PTI government’s failure, and said nothing was done to curb the trend which affected the people adversely.
Stating that the National Security Committee has been made dysfunctional, the PPP leader also expressed his anger over the spike in terror activities, and said the government was doing nothing on the subject. About the foreign affairs and regional situation, Rabbani noted that any security deal between the United States and India would have far-reaching effects on the region.
He said that the government was doing nothing on this front, and urged Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to brief the Parliament on the issue.
Raza Rabbani said that the present government only declared itself as a democracy. He claimed that efforts were being made to make all the institutions subordinate to one person. He said that the PTI government had made the parliament inactive.
He said that the ministers were giving importance to press conferences instead of the Parliament.
Meanwhile, condemning the government’s notification, which allows rise in prices of 94 life-saving drugs, Parliamentary Leader of the PPP in the Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman said, “Other countries are making life-saving drugs free for their citizens, while our government is busy playing politics over such crucial matters.”
She said, “Drugs whose prices have been allowed to increase include medicines such as furosemide injections for emergency use in high blood pressure; acetazolamide tablets for glaucoma; hydralazine tablets for lowering blood pressure and carbamazepine tablets and suspension for epilepsy. Atropine sulphate injection used in emergencies; magnesium sulphate used to treat seizures due to preeclampsia during pregnancy; hydroxyurea, daunorubicin, bleomycin –all used in the treatment of cancer; nitroglycerin and glycerol trinitrate used as emergency heart medicines and anti-rabies vaccine are also among the medicines.”
“The constant increase in price has forced patients to reduce drug dosage or discontinue treatment. The government has left them with no choice but to compromise on their health,” she said in statement.
She said, “DRAP’s lack of interest in monitoring drug prices is shocking. What exactly is it doing? It seems that there is no check and balance by the government. They are only busy in keeping a check on the opposition and curbing our voices”.
“PTI government is setting new records of incompetence and inflation. Looking at their past record, In June, 2020 they amended the Drug Pricing Policy 2018, allowing pharmaceutical companies to increase prices of medicines up to 10 percent. In 2019, the PTI government had allowed the pharmaceutical companies to increase the prices of 45,000 medicines up to 15 percent. The prices of 463 hardship medicines were increased by 200 percent - the highest increase in the last 40 years,” she added.
“The PTI government is appeasing the mafias by increasing prices of essential products. The PM once used to criticize previous governments for increasing prices of essential items. So, what is he doing right now?” she questioned.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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