New Opposition alliance ‘unnatural’, ‘temporary’: Qureshi

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Sunday said that the new Opposition alliance is unnatural and temporary given the “lack of unity and synchronisation” during the first Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally staged in Gujranwala.

Addressing a press conference in Multan, the foreign minister said that people have this impression because the Opposition parties neither have the same flag, a central leadership, nor the same manifesto — which is imperative for any political movement to accomplish its agenda.

'No magic wand to solve problems'

“Opposition does not have a magic wand to solve problems. If they really wanted to solve the problems [that plague Pakistan], they would have done so the past,” the minister said, maintaining that the people holding different point of views and agendas have only united now because they are scared of the consequences of what they did in the past.

He said that many political leaders standing on the stage during the Opposition's rallies see their “political careers as bleak” and that the “old players who lost their wickets to Imran Khan” are now appearing on stage and talking about accountability.

Read more: PDM's first anti-govt jalsa in Gujranwala draws in thousands

Stressing that the government holds no intentions to become a hurdle in the Opposition's planned demonstrations, Qureshi said that the PTI-regime does not believe in conspiring against political movements.

“People are now questioning PPP Chairman [Bilawal Bhutto Zardari] on what was he able to achieve during his 12 years of rule in Sindh when he talks about toppling the government,” the minister said while referring to Bilawal’s speech at the Gujranwala jalsa.

'Gujranwala jalsa devoid of coordination, unity'

The foreign minister, speaking further on Friday's Gujranwala jalsa, also claimed that the demonstration was devoid of coordination and tenacity. “PML-N workers started to leave the venue when Bilawal took the stage to address the protest. Similarly, PPP party workers went all quiet when the crowd was chanting slogans for Nawaz Sharif,” Qureshi said.

Qureshi said that the “elected government is not going to go at the behest of the Opposition” and criticised Bilawal for accusing the incumbent government for its take on Kashmir.

“It is because of the PTI-regime that the Kashmir issue is once again discussed on international forums, an issue which was pushed to the back burners during past regimes,” he added.

Lambasting the Opposition leaders for their take on the judiciary and national institutions of the country, the federal minister said: “Dragging institutions into politics is not going to favour anybody. You should not target national institutions or democracy for your own ulterior motives.”

“Poor participation in the Gujranwala jalsa is proof of the fact that people will not repeat their mistakes," he added.