Making his party’s intentions for change clear to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led government, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif said on Wednesday the government lacked the interest and vision to resolve the people’s issues, and was more interested in plundering national wealth.
“The blue-eyed of the government are being appointed heads of various public sector bodies to receive kickbacks,” Nawaz told around 300 protesters at a sit-in demonstration in front of Parliament House organised by the PML-N. A number of PML-N lawmakers and workers took part in the demonstration, shouting slogans against President Asif Ali Zardari. The PML-N staged the sit-in to protest against rising inflation, load shedding, bad governance and to condemn the military coup of October 12, 1999. Sharif said the government had failed to deliver, appealing to the people to support him for change. “People supported me in the long march for the restoration of judges and now once again I need their help in bringing change,” he said.
He said because of bad governance various public sector enterprises such as Pakistan Railways, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and Pakistan Steel Mills had been destroyed. “If the government avoids taking action against the criminals involved in killing of more than 3,000 innocent people in Karachi, the country will go further towards destruction,” he said, adding the time had come to shun political backing of criminals and rogue elements. He demanded the government file a reference in the Supreme Court against criminals who had been pointed out by the apex court for their involvement in the killing spree in Karachi. The PML-N chief told party lawmakers to keep an eye on the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict on the Karachi violence case.
Further chastising the president, Sharif said: “Mr Zardari should come out of the Presidency and have a look at people’s problems. Prolonged power outages have shut down industries and people are dying of hunger.”
BLACK DAY: Nawaz declared October 12, 1999 a ‘black day’ when the General (r) Pervez Musharraf, chief of army staff at the time, had staged a military coup.
Recalling his own regime, the PML-N president said Pakistan had sufficient electricity during his government’s tenure. “At that time, we were thinking about exporting electricity to neighbouring India and other countries… but a military dictator, who was later presented a guard of honour by President Zardari, overthrew my government,” he said.
He demanded constitutional impeachment of Musharraf, saying the former president had pledged to protect Pakistan’s sovereignty but his wrong decision had pushed the country “into the fire of terrorism”.
Sharif also told his party’s legislator’s to take active part in the debate on the unanimous resolution on national security passed by the All-Parties Conference, which would be presented in parliament for debate.
He said during his recent visit to Sindh, he observed that the social and economic position of the people had not improved since 1947 and the PPP government did nothing for them.
The PML-N leader called upon the students, civil society, farmers and all stakeholders to support him for change.
PML-Likeminded President Salim Saifullah also spoke on the occasion and assured his party’s full support to the PML-N for change. “Nawaz Sharif is a national hero, he has been elected prime minister of Pakistan twice… now the nation is looking to him and he should play his role in bringing change,” Saifullah said.