ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday took a jibe at the opposition parties, saying "necessity is the mother of invention", which is why the arch rivals of the past have buried their hatchet to avoid accountability.
Talking to journalists outside the Parliament House, he raised the question that if today's Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) meeting was being termed the most important session of the opposition alliance, why the PPP Chairperson, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, was joining it via a video link, and did not bother to travel to Raiwind to attend the session.
In the same breath, he pointed out that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was being represented by former prime ministers, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Yousuf Raza Gilani - the duo, who were against tendering resignations.
"Ashraf himself is an MNA, and if he believes that tendering resignations is the way forward, he should submit his resignation," he said, adding "if Gilani thinks tendering resignation is a political solution, his son is a member of the Punjab Assembly, and he should submit his resignation to the speaker Punjab Assembly."
"The PPP has decided against the submitting of resignations and disconnecting from the Parliament and the Senate," Qureshi said, adding the PPP was not ready to sacrifice its government in Sindh.
"It is yet to be seen whether the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) agrees to the PPP's conditions," Qureshi added.
The PPP stunned everyone on December 29, 2020, with the announcement of contesting the upcoming Senate elections, while endorsing at the same time almost all decisions of the PDM, including resigning from the assemblies.
The party also decided to challenge the PTI-led governments at the Centre and in other provinces through no-confidence motions in the National Assembly, the Punjab Assembly, and others.
Foreign Minister Qureshi stressed that the PDM had decided to submit all the resignations to its president and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. However, the PPP demanded that resignations be rather submitted to the leadership of their respective parties.
"December 31 came and went but there were no resignations. There is no consensus on the long march either as the PPP leadership made it conditional on the return of Nawaz Sharif," said Qureshi. The minister asserted that Prime Minister Imran Khan had the mandate of the people and would not resign at any cost.
Talking about the death anniversary of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27, the FM said that "we share the grief" and that it was a sad day in the history of Pakistan.
Pointing out the divide among the PDM leadership, Qureshi said PML-N Vice President Maryam Safdar visited Larkana but the PDM's President, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, did not.
"The nation knows the truth, and will not be fooled," he added.
"Other than escaping accountability and NRO, issues of national importance can be discussed with the opposition."
He maintained that NRO was a way to avoid accountability. When the opposition was consulted for the FATF legislation, they submitted a 34-point NAB amendment, the minister added.
"We understand the difference between accountability and revenge. We do not believe in revenge but accountability must move forward."
"A political ploy of recognising Israel is in play to provoke the public sentiment," he underscored, adding the attempt had failed.
The whole nation had an emotional attachment to the Kashmir and Palestine issue, he said, adding Pakistan had a clear and unequivocal position on the Kashmir and Palestine dispute.
Talking about the vandalised Hindu temple in Karak district of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Qureshi said he was glad that the Supreme Court had taken notice of the incident.
"We strongly condemn the incident," Qureshi said, adding, "This is against Islamic values. We must ensure the protection of minority places of worships. Those who have done this have damaged Pakistan's international identity."
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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