Opposition trying to discredit state institutions, says Imran
Army is guarantor of national security: PM; opposition announces launch of an anti-government campaign from October and forms the Pakistan Democratic Movement
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday termed All Parties Conference (APC) by opposition as an atempt to discredit state institutions and said that defaming Pakistan army ahead of UN meeting is part of conspiracy.
Imran chaired a meeting of party spokespersons to discuss country’s political situation and resolution of APC.
During the meeting, Imran said that Pakistan army is guarantor of national security but Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-N) is once again promoting agenda of India.
He further said that lobbies in foreign countries are working against Pakistan army. Any conspiracy to discredit state institutions will be thwarted, he added.
Meanwhile, top ministers in the federal cabinet Shibli Faraz, Asad Umar, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry responded to the criticism against the incumbent government and state institutions from the plaform of the oppositionled All Parties Conference.
Information Minister Shibli Faraz said that they allowed the broadcast of speeches from opposition leaders on the orders of Imran. He blamed Nawaz Sharif for creating unnecessary controversy around the polls in 2018 and said that he did not raise any reservations over the polling processes which led him to power thrice in the country.
Shibli said that the PTI lost 16 constituencies with a close margin and could have atained a simple majority in the parliament if they had won them. “Should we term these losses as rigging,” he asked.
“Any election which culminates on PML-N’S loss is a rigged election,” he taunted and further asked as to why they don’t work on electoral reforms if they have issues over the outcome of the elections in the country.
He further said that Sharif looked healthy during his live address and asked him to refrain from creating controversy around the polls and democracy in the country.
Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar said that the prime minister had correctly identified that it is not politics but the 20-year looted money which is at stake for the opposition leaders due to the policies of the incumbent government.
“Opponents of the past have joined hands,” he said and lamented that the opposition parties intentionally opposed the FATF related bills to blackmail the government.
Umar said that the enemies of the country have realised that Pakistan is on track towards progress and were trying to create hindrances in the path. He, however, said that both civil and military leadership is working together to resolve the issues through coordinated efforts.
He said that Sharif is carrying out personal atacks against the armed forces and these remarks were the top news of the mainstream Indian media. “They criticise the NAB, whose chairman is being nominated by both PPP and PML-N,” he said.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also seconded him and said that joy was felt in India over the speech of Sharif, who along with other opposition leaders, criticised every state institution they feel threatened with during the APC.
He said that the armed forces had sacrificed their lives for safeguarding the country. The multiparty conference of the opposition on Sunday announced to launch an anti-government campaign from October and formed the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
It demanded immediate resignation of Imran, and warned of starting the movement in 10 days, from October, if the demand was not fulfilled. The movement would consist of a series of protests and rallies, culminating in a long march in January 2021 against the government.
“In the first phase, joint public rallies would be held in the provincial capitals and other cities in October, while in the second phase, big rallies would be brought out in the provincial capitals and other cities in December, and the decisive long march on Islamabad would be held in January 2021,” Maulana Fazlur Rehman said while releasing the decision late last night.
Reading out the action plan, he said it was decided that all political and parliamentary options would be adopted, including the options of a no-confidence motion and collective resignations from the parliament.