-Maryam accuses PTI of receivingIndia’s BJP funding
-Maulana slanders ruling party of getting funds from Israel
-Bilawal skips anti-government rally
-Ministers term PDM’s rally a flop show
By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has termed the foreign funding case as the ‘biggest scandal in the history of the country’ and said that Imran Khan had created political instability by taking “Mother of NROs”.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman alleged that Imran Khan was the main accused in the foreign funding case in which private business was done through a secret account.
He said that PDM will protest in front of the ECP office and demand an early verdict as the delay is raising suspicions.
Informing about the decisions taken by the PDM steering committee, he said that on January 21, there will be a million march rejecting Israel followed by a rally in solidarity with Kashmiris on February 5 at Liaquat Bagh, Rawalpindi. “There will be a full-scale protest against those who sold off Kashmir”, he said. He further said that historic rallies would be held in Hyderabad on February 9, Sialkot on February 13, Pishin on February 16, Sargodha on February 23, Khuzdar on February 27, followed by the decision to march towards Islamabad. The final date for the Long March will be announced at the PDM rally, said Fazlur Rehman. Addressing the protest rally, PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan had received funding from Israel and India. Maryam said that the person who was blaming others for theft “turned out to be a thief himself”.
“He (PM Imran Khan) has attempted to delay the proceedings 30 times. If you weren’t involved in theft, then why did you ask for the proceedings to be delayed?” she asked. Maryam further alleged that “if a person is taking funds from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) workers, then he will ultimately pray for Modi’s success”.
The ECP failure has become a “punishment” for the people, she said, asking why when the Results Transmission System (RTS) was disrupted, did the ECP not take notice. Slamming the ECP, she said that if an “incompetent” person was made the ruler by “robbing people’s votes”, then why did the institution not speak up.
“Inflation is rampant today, [petrol prices are at shockingly high rates] and the ECP [cannot be absolved of blame either],” she added. PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal, PPP’s Raja Pervez Ashraf, PKMAP’s Mehmood Khan Achakzai, Akhtar Mengal addressed the crowd in turn. Imran Khan ‘illegally imposed on Pakistan: Ahsan Iqbal, for his part, said PM Imran Khan was “illegally imposed” on the country. He slammed the government over what he termed the economic crisis Pakistan is in and the government’s policies. “It is time the selected government is sent packing.”
Furthermore, he said that PDM would submit its memorandum Wednesday. People want supremacy of Constitution: Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal, a former ally of the PTI-led government, said that the nation wants the supremacy of the Constitution.
“The people want the supremacy of the Constitution — which is the veyr foundation of this country,” Mengal said.
The BNP-M chief, talking about the country’s progress, said that Pakistan will not be able to move forward unless equal rights are ensured for the people.
PM Imran Khan should be disqualified: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao said that even after six years, PM Imran Khan was unable to provide details of his foreign funding. “Why did you (PM Imran Khan) take several dates from the ECP?” he asked. “He should be disqualified under Article 62/63.” Sherpao said that he aspires for a government to be formed one that is according to the people’s wishes.
The government has also beefed up security around the ECP building to avoid any untoward incident, with Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed reviewing security and personally monitoring the overall situation from the Control Room.
Ahmed said this was the first time that the government was allowing such a demonstration on the Constitution Avenue — the so called “Red Zone” of the federal capital. “I hope the Opposition parties hold a peaceful protest,” he stressed.The interior minister had warned the Opposition parties to not take the law into their hands during the protest or they would be responsible for the consequences. He said Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been on high alert since December 15 with at least seven terror threats issued by NACTA.PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari skipped the yesterday’s protest as he is participating in party celebrations for winning the Umerkot by-polls.
Ministers’ Reaction: Federal Ministers have termed Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM’s) rally in front of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as failed show and thanked people for rejecting opposition. Speaking at a press conference with the Cabinet Committee in Islamabad, Shibli Faraz said that the leaders of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) were on the hunt for NRO.
He said that both major political parties of Pakistan looted the country and made properties. The Broadsheet decision contains evidence of 20 years of corruption, and a committee has been formed to investigate. The committee includes former judges, FIA officers, senior lawyers and the attorney general. The Federal Minister for Information said that the decision of Broadsheet was based on facts.
Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister Shireen Mazari said that there is no room left after Panama, Swiss Bank and Broadsheet. This country was not poor, it was plundered and made poor.
She said that Maryam Nawaz said that Imran Khan received money from Israel and India, she should be ashamed to say such a thing because her father had done business with Indians. The nation knows whose house Ajit Doval came to.
Mazari said that Sharif family had taken two NROs and was now trying to get a third. If there is any shame in Maryam, she should keep quiet. Shireen Mazari said the inquiry committee to investigate the Broadsheet matter has been empowered to produce any officer or document from any institute so that responsibility could be fixed. Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that Maryam Nawaz addressed a gathering of one thousand people in the red zone and pretended as she addressed millions of people. Maryam Nawaz once said that I do not have any property in London, he added.
Fawad Chaudhary said Broadsheet was registered in 1999 during Pervez Musharraf era, helped the then government and the newly established NAB to track down foreign assets purchased by Pakistanis through ill-gotten wealth.
He said Broadsheet was assigned to search illegal assets of Pakistanis in Asia, America and Europe. He said the company exposed the illegal properties of Sharif family in different countries.
