PDM to bring out whitepaper on govt performance

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) on Saturday once again rejected government’s proposed Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) which is aimed at facilitating theft of vote in general elections.

“The so-called electoral reforms as being proposed by the government is a plan to commit robbery on right of vote of people,” PMLN senior leader and ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said this while talking to newsmen after steering committee meeting of PDM.

To a question, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that to welcome victory of Taliban in Afghanistan was decision of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s party and it had nothing to do with the PDM. However, he observed that Parliament was the best forum to discuss policy with regard to Taliban.

The committee also decided to release a whitepaper on corruption and poor governance of the PTI government in the last three years. “The purpose behind releasing whitepaper will be to expose government’s corruption and failures on all fronts,” he said.

“The reason behind the incumbent government’s failures is the rigging of the 2018 general elections, and till the time this country’s affairs are not in line with the Constitution, the problems of the people cannot be resolved,” the former prime minister said.

“It is crystal clear that democracy cannot thrive in Pakistan till the elections are not transparent and held without interference,” he added.

He went on to say that it was decided earlier that the PDM would also announce its ‘Charter of Pakistan’ saying that draft of the charter would be finalised in the next six weeks. “This is our agenda that the country is governed as per Constitution and law and every institution should act within the ambit of the Constitution,” he said.

PDM rejected establishment of the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) terming government’s move an attempt to restrict independence of media in the country.

“We reject government’s move of establishment of PMDA which is aimed at curbing freedom of media,” the senior PDM and PMLN leader said.

He said the steering committee meeting chaired by Ahsan Iqbal was attended by leaders of eight parties saying that recommendations of the committee would be placed before PDM heads’ sitting in Karachi on August 28 while movement’s public meeting in Karachi would be staged on August 29.

The meeting was attended by Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, Hafiz Hamadullah, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and others.

The participants have prepared a schedule for rallies across the country, which will be presented before a meeting in which all party heads will be in attendance, he said. “The meeting will take place on August 28, and it will finalise the schedule,” Abbasi said.