Institutions are not your Tiger Force: Bilawal

KARACHI/LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan had been attempting to turn every national institution, including the army and ISI, into his ‘Tiger Force’.

However, he warned, the Pakistan People’s Party would not let the government take any unconstitutional action that could harm the country, as the national institutions were not the Tiger Force of the prime minister.

He was addressing a PPP public gathering here at Bagh-e-Jinnah to commemorate the anniversary of the PPP activists who were killed on Oct 18, 2007 in Karsaz terrorist attack.

The PPP chairman said the countdown had begun to send packing PM Imran Khan, following the protest drive launched by the PPP activists against the “selected, ineligible and completely failed” government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

He said the PTI government launched its first assault against the parliament, and later on the judiciary

also came under its brazen attack. He said the PM had also made an attempt to turn the bureaucracy into his tiger force by changing the Punjab Police chief and chief secretary several times.

He said that similarly, attempts were being made to make the media and social media in the country subservient to the government as conspiracies were being hatched against these important national institutions.

Bilawal alleged that the incumbent PM had proved to be the most dishonest prime minister in the history of the country given the latest unprecedented hike in the prices of the essential commodities. He said all his promises had proved to be a lie thus far, recalling that Imran Khan, before coming to power, used to say that hike in the prices of essential products showed how much dishonest the country’s ruler was. He said that every sector of the country had witnessed destruction instead of seeing any change after PM Imran Khan had intervened in its affairs. He said that every promise of the PM had proved to be false, as his every statement was meant to deceive masses.

The PPP chairman said that his party had been protesting since the PTI government signed a deal with the IMF, and now the protest against record hike in the prices of essential items would continue.

Bilawal said his party would continue its struggle to oust the present ineligible and failed government to revive the Islamic democratic system in the country in accordance with its Constitution.

He said the People’s Party was sure to form the next government in the country, and it would form a pro-people government that would, from its inception, take steps to raise salaries and pension and also to create job opportunities.

Other PPP leaders, who spoke on the occasion, included Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Nisar Khuhro and Saeed Ghani.

Meanwhile, the opposition alliance, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), announced launching a campaign against unprecedented inflation in the country.

PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman Sunday announced that within the next two weeks, the opposition would hold countrywide protest against the growing inflation. "As soon as we are done with the celebrations of the Eid Miladun-Nabi, we will start a full-fledged campaign against inflation," he said while speaking to the media after holding an informal meeting with the PDM members at his residence.

Former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Chairman Mehmood Achakzai, and Secretary-General of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Awais Noorani attended the meeting. They discussed launching of a campaign against the federal government and inflation, sources said.

"We appeal to the entire nation to fully participate in the protests and rallies," the Maulana said.

The meeting decided that PDM member parties’ heads would meet on Wednesday and discuss the anti-government campaign in detail. The meeting was informed that PMLN Quaid Nawaz Sharif would also attend the Wednesday meeting through vide-link.

Also, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman held a telephonic talk on Sunday and agreed on launching a full-fledged countrywide campaign against the worst inflation in the history of Pakistan. The two leaders discussed rapidly deteriorating situation in the country and the plight of the people of Pakistan, crushed under the skyrocketing inflation. They said the people of Pakistan could no longer bear the burden of the economic terrorism by the Imran Khan-led government and that the opposition would start a comprehensive and full-scale campaign against the injustice.

They decided that protests, rallies and marches would be held across country.

They said it was time for leaders to get out of homes to save nation from inflation, unemployment and economic catastrophe.

Separately, taking to its official Twitter account, the PMLN confirmed that Shehbaz and Fazl criticised the government's policies during the phone call and decided to launch a full-fledged campaign against "the worst inflation in the country's history".

The two leaders agreed to join anti-government protests of other Opposition parties.

Earlier in the day, criticising the PTI-led government, Shehbaz said that with the country already battling inflation, negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have also failed. "After the failure of the talks with the IMF, the government should revert the hike in prices," Shehbaz demanded.

Shehbaz said that the government "deceived the masses and also tricked the IMF".