The protest also included angry sloganeering from the ruling party’s very own parliamentarian. “A government that is failing to protect its people does not deserve to rule the country,” Nasir Ali Shah from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Quetta’s Hazara community said.
MPs from almost all opposition parties and even an uneasy government ally, totalling about 100, took part in the protest.
Members of the Q and like-minded factions of the Pakistan Muslim League and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), rallied with the PML-N members from the parliament to the presidency.
Head of his own PPP faction, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao and a couple of members from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) were also among the protesters.
Almost 100 MPs and 50 activists later staged a brief sit-in outside the official secretariat-cum-residence of President Asif Ali Zardari where members from all parties addressed protesters.
Although a large number of law-enforcement agencies personnel were on their toes – both in and outside the presidency – at no point did they confront the marching MPs who were led by National Assembly opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
Addressing the parliamentarians, Khan warned the government that his party would hold more such protests if the administration did not steer the country out of the multiple crises it was facing.
“We are here to make the resident of this house [the Presidency] realise that the people of Pakistan are in pain … and they are desperately looking towards their rulers for help,” Khan said.
(Read: Electricity matters)
The PML like-minded group chief Salim Saifullah Khan said there was a crisis in the country and nobody seemed serious about tackling the challenges.
“The government should have focused on solving people’s problems … but unfortunately, that is not happening,” Sherpao said.
“The government’s numerical strength in parliament doesn’t reflect the public support for it,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2011.
COMMENTS (27)
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no one knows PML(N) IN KARACHI .....
if sharif brother do noting then biased people called friendlly opposition and when they performing for good cause its called drama.
what imra khan deliver yet??????
Only words did he go for hunger strike like anna hazaray did he put all his own money to stop dengue?????
he is working only one agenda to help PPP and MQM to come in punjad by breaking votes of PML-N by giving baseless statement
so "SAMJ KAY JAGO"
Time to build more warheads........
What is the purpose of parliament house? A freak show on road is a publicity stunt.
@blithe: Being in a picture with low level people does not mean having power. The actual power lies with Nawaz, Shahbaz and his son. The picture reminded me of Hashmi who kept the PML-N alive when Sharifs were in a palace and Hashmi in jail. NS is still following the terms of amnesty agreement with Mush via Saudi Arabia. That is why he did not contest any elections, not even by-election. I would vote for a party today, if it is headed by an honest man like Hashmi. Regards, Mirza
LOL, not even the Sharif brothers supported the party protest, both were missing in action!!!!!
'Bari deir ki mehraban aatey aatey'
@All BS: It's all nonesense. Some low level PML_N worker is trying to earn brownie points by doing this so that he can go off and tell his higher ups about it. Waste of time. People should ignore this and go out for a movie or dinner instead.
@Mirza: Don't you see him in the picture? Or is your bias also blinding your eyesight?
@Ali: Don't you think the Federal Goverment has any resonsiblity in controling in dengue???
@ Muhammad Amer
I think the same. I feel tommorows Leadership should be from APML and PTI. Good bye to Old bad faces.
Support to no one else, but Musharraf
@Ali: I dont think this has anything to do with dengue but yes it is a drama.
What a loser protest, not even a 100 people.....
only support PTI people, they are untried people and their leadership is honest atleast...
It is nothing but drama to divert attention of people from DENGUE.
peaceful protests should be carried out by the opposition parties to force the rulers to move in right direction.
Dea PML(N), your honesty in Pak politics now a days is much like oxygen. The higher up you go, the scarcer it becomes...
Finally PML(N) has started the campaign for ouster of the Govt. but then many people still think that this is "NOORA KUSHTI"!!!!
V.good going.. PML-N zindabad,