ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan repeatedly speaks of Riyasat-e-Madina to “draw the people’s attention away” from the government’s “economic failures.”
Talking to media person here alongside Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Yousuf Raza Gilani, a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s article on the rule of law and lessons to learn from the State of Madina, was published in leading newspapers, he said that the people of the country will have to bear the weight of the “historic incompetence” of the PTI-led federal government.
Bilawal reiterated that his party will start a protest from Karachi against the government from February 27. While vowing to send the government packing, Bilawal said that they will only use democratic means to get rid of this government. Whenever the PPP has launched a long march against the incumbent government, the latter has been harmed.
Citing Afghanistan as an example, where after the takeover of the Taliban, a strict interpretation of Islam is being enforced, the PPP chairman said that it is likely that the more things decline economically in the war-torn country, “talk of religion will be ramped up to divert the people’s attention”.
“Here too, as our economy witnesses a downturn, the prime minister speaks of Riyasat-e-Madina to draw the people’s attention away,” he said.
“Those who attempt to divert people’s attention can say their prayers, can keep their fasts and can make arrangements for their eternal abode in heaven. We, too, will continue in our struggle,” Bilawal said. The PPP has already decided that it will take to the streets against this incapable government and will start the long march from Karachi on 27 February. We can never resort to undemocratic practices, he said.
He said that there is a high probability of the opposition working together now that the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has come to the same conclusion that the PPP had reached earlier, which was of the no-confidence. If the PDM is ready to retreat on its stance on resignations and adopts my view on no-confidence, we can certainly work together. All parties have to play their role. We have to dislodge the government, no matter the number of marches.
Zardari juniorsaid that the opposition’s reservation regarding the prices of essential commodities being multiplied due to the mini-budget has proved correct. Pakistan had already been facing an economic crisis before the mini-budget, which has now led to historic price hike, unemployment, and poverty. The people are being crushed under this burden.He said that his party’s stance from the first day was to bring a no-confidence motion against this government.
The bill regarding the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) was bulldozed at around midnight, counting was not done, our amendments were not heard. This was the biggest economic attack on the country in its history. After this legislation, the State Bank is not answerable to the government, parliament, judiciary, and the people. Rather, it will be run on the dictation of international financial institutions.
The account of our defence budget will be in the State Bank and the government, parliament or the judiciary will have no control over it. Our defence expenditure would be for the world to see and the nuclear programme will be threatened.
This government has attacked our economic sovereignty and democratic liberties. Regarding the presidential system, he said that history is witness to the fact that our country has been dismembered under this system.
Rejecting the talks of a presidential system, he said that as per the constitution, Pakistan is a federal, democratic and parliamentary Islamic republic to the nation.
There is no space for a presidential system in the constitution, adding that those talking about the presidential system are trying to distract the people from the price-hike, unemployment, poverty, and agricultural crisis. The PPP has always maintained the respect of the country in the international community.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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