'Tainted politicians won't be part of Awam Pakistan': Khaqan, Miftah launch new party

• Abbasi says those who won polls on "Form-47" can't build country.
• Ex-PM says handful of elites in govt don't want to change system.
• "Predatory system can't continue in the country": Miftah Ismail

ISLAMABAD: Ending months of speculation about the formation of a new political party, former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail launched ‘Awam Pakistan,’ with a pledge to change the governance system of the country and deny political space to the "tainted" politicians.

"Politicians with tainted reputations won't be a part of Awam Pakistan," said Khaqan, who served as prime minister during the PML-N’s 2013-18 stint in power, at the press conference in Islamabad flanked by Miftah and ex-PML-N leader Mehtab Abbasi.

The party's launch came months after Khaqan and Ismail parted ways from the ruling party following their differences with the leadership.

Giving rise to speculations about a new political platform, Khaqan in April approached the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the registration of a new party.

In a hard-hitting press conference today, the former prime minister bashed the incumbent government, saying that those won elections on the basis of “Form-47” — reference to the alleged manipulation in the election results — can't build the country.

"We are just concerned about power, not about the country. Parties keep forming in Pakistan for specific purposes," he said, adding that they had not invited anyone to join the newly-launched Awam Pakistan party.

Electables are part of the politics but not acceptable, he added.

Without naming anyone, the ex-prime minister said that he and his fellow leaders remained a part of a particular political party in good or bad times but couldn't be a part of it anymore just for the sake of power.

"The government consists of a handful of elites who don't want to change the system," Khaqan added.  

'Predatory system can't continue'

Speaking at the occasion, Miftah came hard on the existing system in the country saying that "predatory" set-up cannot continue. 

"Are you running East India Company," he said, adding that the "system of the hunter and the hunted cannot continue".

Lambasting the federal government for its budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, the ex-finance czar said that those earning merely Rs50,000 per month are asked to pay tax, but no tax is demanded from the one owning thousands of acres of land.

"The tax on the salaried class has been doubled in the budget [...] the middle class is being crushed," Miftah said, stressing that the budget in essence is a reflection of the ruling elite's priorities.

The ex-minister's comments refer to the tax-heavy Finance Bill 2024, which was assented by President Asif Ali Zardari last week, wherein the government has set out a challenging tax revenue target of Rs13 trillion for the year starting July 1, up about 40% from the current year to strengthen the case for a new rescue deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The rise in the tax target is made up of a 48% increase in direct taxes and a 35% hike in indirect taxes over revised estimates of the current year. Non-tax revenue, including petroleum levies, is seen increasing by a whopping 64%.

Referring to the recently announced anti-terrorism drive "Operation Azm-e-Istehkam," the politician said: "Today we are going to conduct another operation [...] why these operations are needed again and again because you cannot end poverty."

His remarks come as the federal cabinet last week approved the launch of the counter-terrorism operation following the National Action Plan's Central Apex Committee's recommendations to root out militance from the country.

With opposition parties voicing concerns over the anti-terror operation, the government has decided to convene an all-parties conference (APC) "to gain political parties’ confidence" over its decision.