Opposition didn’t ask Army chief to overthrow govt: Ahsan Iqbal

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal has said the institutions are worried about the performance of the government, and not the PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement].

Addressing a press conference along with Azma Bukhari and Ataullah Tarar at the party's central secretariat in Model Town here on Saturday, he said the opposition had not asked the army chief to overthrow the government.

“We will send the government packing with the power of our planned long march and save the country on February 1, 2021,” he announced.

The PDM leadership would announce the final date for the long march after consultations, Ahsan said adding that the government should learn lessons from the history. He said it was time for everyone to be accountable and now was the time that all others should also learn from the past. He said that all the doors on non-political interference in politics should be closed.

He said politicians have learnt this and now the others should also learn it. He said the ‘selected’ would have to leave after a few months. He warned that the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), FIA, police and other institutions should not tarnish their image for the sake of the guest government.

He said the PDM announcement in Lahore public meeting was the most important resolution after Pakistan came into being in which all parties promised to work together. He said the opposition was not fighting for power but to save people.

Ahsan said that the prime minister used to announce providing containers and food to the opposition for protest, but he was arrogantly imposing draconian laws in the country now. He said the entire nation was demanding his resignation. He said the PDM would make a long march to get Imran Khan's resignation, if he did not resign, then the PDM would resign from the assemblies and the system would collapse.

He said that Imran Khan said that the institutions were angry with the opposition, but in reality they (institutions) were worried about the poor performance of the government.

“[Indian premier Narendra] Modi snatched Kashmir [from Pakistan] but the government of Imran Niazi remained a silent spectator,” he said adding that the PML-N had brought CPEC [China-Pakistan Economic Corridor] but the incumbent government could not add a single dollar to it.

“Standing alone in the international community, Imran Khan is not able to unite and deliver the nation; you have been clean bowled, stumped, LBW and caught behind, but now you are not leaving the pitch like a stubborn child. It is harmful to the nation,” he added.

He said that the nation lost Rs122 billion in terms of LNG import; the European Union had been allowed to run airlines by destroying the domestic airline industry, because Imran Khan’s advisers have the citizenship of European countries; Peshawar BRT has become the biggest scandal in the country, but no institution is looking at it. The institutions working against the opposition are not doing anything against the most corrupt government in the country,” he alleged.

He claimed that inflation was touching the highest limits and demanded that the government should increase the salaries of government employees by 20% immediately.

Answering a question, he said that the Lahore Declaration would play an important role in politics of the future and the PDM member parties would work together for the people.

He said that the PDM had become a people's movement, now arrest of any leader will not weaken the movement. “They cannot run the government with this performance,” he stated. He stated that from yesterday's interview with the prime minister, it seems that he was scared and intimidated from within.

“The real problem is that people leave their jobs and get involved in the work of others, which upsets the system. With self-accountability, the country can emerge from the current crisis,” he added. He claimed that Pakistani politicians have always strengthened the country while martial law had always harmed it.

He said that democracy gave the country projects like CPEC, motorways and Gwadar, while martial law and undemocratic forces had only damaged the country. “Yes, politicians who came out during the 35 years of martial law, including Zulfikar Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, raised the slogan of people's rule and were declared traitors. Their raising the voice for people’s rights became their crime,” he said.

Answering a question, he said that the date for the long march would be announced on February 1 and the PDM would lead it.

Replying to a question about any rift in the PDM, he said that all the PDM parties were united and undivided.