- Sattar criticises government for not making the CPEC a public project
LAHORE: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan is the only political party trying to resolve the problems of the masses. The leadership of the party has started reorganising the MQM Pakistan in Punjab to work for the people here.
These views were expressed by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan leader Farooq Sattar, while addressing a press conference at the Lahore Press Club, on Tuesday.
The party will increase contacts with the citizen of Punjab to initiate practical struggle against the system, adding, people of Punjab are facing numerous problems for past many decades, including poverty, unemployment, traffic issues, etc.
“Lahoris are facing a shortage of clean drinking water,” he said, adding that local bodies’ representatives are deprived of their rights as well. “I appeal to the people of Punjab to join our ‘envoy’ to save the rest Pakistan,” he said.
Showing his reservation on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Sattar said the project has been controversial because much of its details are not made public.
The party leader said that the government has said that around 35,000-megawatt electricity would be added to the system but it hasn’t given any information about the rates at which it would be distributed.
However, Sattar admitted that Kala Bagh Dam issue should be resolved as water resources were much important for the survival of the country and.
Sattar, while criticising the Punjab government’s Kissan Package, said that most of the farmers are still deprived of government’s assistance. “The amount of money distributed under the Kissan Package was just in documents,” he said, adding that sugar cane growers did not receive their due payment because of the feudal and mills owners’ nexus.”
He invited farmers to join hands with MQM Pakistan for quick resolution of their problems.
“We have potential to remove all the problems country is facing today,” he said, adding that whenever they decided to become politically active in Punjab, the party started facing problems in Karachi.
“Our image is being represented similar to MQM London which is an injustice,” Sattar said, adding that all allegations against them are false.
He said that except the Panama Papers case, no other government was investigated over massive corruption.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan will have to continue the accountability process, he added.
Sattar, while demanding the Supreme Court to probe into the looted wealth of around 3,000 billion rupees, said that another Joint Investigation Team should be made to probe the corruption of leaders. “NAB alone cannot eradicate the corruption unless a system of accountability is being adopted by political parties within them”, he concluded.
