Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Thursday said the country’s future was with democracy alone and the political forces must stand united to thwart any attempt to derail it. Addressing a large gathering at the Convention Centre while inaugurating the Gujar Khan campus of Virtual University, the prime minister said that no one could “blackmail, threaten or coerce us to abandon democracy”.
He said that all backdoor channels to power had been blocked, adding that now the key to power rested with the people’s decision through vote. He said that democracy was the only solution to the country’s problems, adding that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) would continue its tradition of protecting democracy. He warned that no one should even dare to consider the PPP government weak. “We will render all sacrifices and protect democracy at all costs,” he said, adding that the military leadership, judiciary and the media would also stand with the political forces to thwart any attempt against democracy.
The prime minister lamented the comments of what he called “pseudo-intellectuals” on TV talks shows, saying those who believed in the notion that democracy would get derailed, must get rid of the idea. He said the general election would be held on time in the next few weeks, and would be conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner. He said the PPP and its allies were satisfied over the fact that the parliament was completing its five-year tenure.
