July 04, 2021
SWAT: PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif on Sunday once again criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan and said that he left "no stone unturned in destroying the people of Pakistan."
Shahbaz's statement came during a jalsa of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) at the Grassy Ground in Mingora, Swat today (Sunday).
Addressing the crowd, Shahbaz said that as against the assumption, all parties within the PDM are united.
Taking a jibe at the PTI-led government, Shahbaz said that it has failed to deliver its promise.
"Imran Khan had said that he would end corruption from the country within 90 days of coming into power, but nothing happened," said Shahbaz. "The seat of the premier remains empty in the Parliament just like the pockets of the masses."
He said that ever since Imran Khan took over, the country has been going through "historical poverty."
"Inflation has skyrocketed and Pakistan has never seen such a condition before," he said, adding that despite promising the provision of five million houses for the poor, not a single brick has been laid by the government.
"Imran Khan said he would create 10 million jobs but instead left people unemployed," he said. "This is certainly not the Pakistan that the Quaid-e-Azam had envisioned."
The PML-N leader also lauded the previous, PML-N-led government and cited comparative statistics, adding that the "old Pakistan" was much better than the "Naya Pakistan."
Shahbaz continued to criticise the PTI government for increasing the prices of wheat, petrol, and electricity and said that "Imran Khan has brought the country to the brink of disaster."
'Rejected' political tola staging another drama in Swat: Fawad Chaudhry
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry earlier in the day lashed out at the PDM leadership, saying that the Opposition alliance was staging another drama in Swat today after the failure of the Abu Bachao Movement.
Chaudhry has used the above-mentioned slogan to describe, what he calls, the Opposition parties' (PPP, PML-N) efforts to seek relief for ex-president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, from accountability.
The minister said that the "characters in this drama" have split already, adding that neither do the parties in the PDM share an ideology nor are they on a shared path or moving towards a common destination.
"Criticising Imran Khan is not sufficient alone. Show the public the programme you have for them," he added.
Addressing the jalsa, PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that despite the prevailing conditions, the people of Pakistan are still passionate about the rule of law in the country.
"People's hopes and spirits have still not diminished. While Imran Khan represents the undemocratic part of Pakistani politics, the PDM will ensure that this illegitimate government is sent packing," he said.
In April, the PDM suffered a jolt as PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari that the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) had called upon its members to resign from all positions of the PDM.
Flanked by party leaders, Bilawal held a news conference to speak about the matters that came under discussion during the PPP's CEC.
He said the CEC had come to the conclusion that resignations from the national and provincial assemblies should be "like an atom bomb".
Bilawal said the PPP's stance that the Opposition should not "abandon the Parliament and the Senate battleground" had been vindicated.
He said if the PPP had listened to other political parties in the Opposition and boycotted the Senate elections and by-elections, then it would have harmed democracy.
"We did not give the PTI government an open field to form a two-thirds majority in the Senate," he said, adding that the government lost on its "own pitch" when the PDM candidate won from the Nowshera by-election.
He said those who wanted to resign from the Parliament, should do so.
"But, no one should try to impose their will or their dictation on any other political party," he said. "And the Pakistan Peoples Party will continue in its firm, consistent Opposition to the selected government that has been ongoing since day one and has not broken for a single day," stressed the PPP chairperson.
Bhutto was responding to the show-cause notices issued by the PDM to the PPP and the ANP.
"The Pakistan Peoples Party rejects the so-called show-cause notice," he had said. "Politics is done with equality and respect," he added.
"The PPP demands an unconditional apology to the ANP and to the PPP for this obnoxious attitude," he had said.
Show-cause notices over alleged violations of the PDM's consensus decision and principles were issued to the PPP and the ANP a couple of months ago.
PDM chief Maulana Fazal ur Rehman had approved the issuance of show cause notices to both parties.
Notices were sent by Secretary-General PDM and former prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Abbasi had said that the notices to both parties were issued over their alleged violations.
The PPP was asked to explain within a week, its conduct of getting appointed its candidate, former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, as Leader of Opposition in Senate, by defying the consensus decision of component parties of the Opposition alliance.
On the other hand, a similar notice was also issued to the ANP for supporting the PPP in its efforts to get Gilani designated by roping in government’s ally Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) senators to constitute major support.
PPP and ANP's move has harmed Opposition alliance and movement, read the notices.