APC to chalk out final plan to oust govt, says Kaira

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) central leader Qamar Zaman Kaira on Saturday said the opposition parties’ confab would take a final decision on the ouster of the government, which according to the former has ruined the country.

The All-Parties Conference (APC), which is due to held on Sunday (today), is to be hosted by the PPP. It is pertinent to mention that ex-premier Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Ali Zardari will also participate in the conference through a video link. According to the PPP leader, the venue of the APC has changed from Ramada to Marriott Hotel.

“The people are fed up with the incumbent government. The opposition parties will make a final decision in the APC to save the lives of the people from the government,” Kaira said while addressing a press conference in the federal capital. He was accompanied by party leaders Dr Nafisa Shah, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Chaudhry Manzoor, Palwasha Khan and Nazir Dhoki.

Elaborating the APC’s agenda, the PPP leader said the government’s two-year performance will be reviewed as it has “deviated” from the promises made to the people and “destroyed” the economy.

Kaira, who is also the PPP South Punjab chapter’s president, stressed the need for a joint action plan for the future. Every party has its own viewpoint but a coordinated plan will enable the opposition to “rid the country of the government”, he added.

The Centre’s foreign policy has failed, the economy has been destroyed and all sectors are worried, he alleged, adding that the economy had already been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

He also said that all the opposition parties have their own manifestos and decisions will be taken according to the scenarios. There have been 90 per cent implementation on the Charter of Democracy, he claimed.

Reacting to the ministers’ statements, he said the ruling party leaders have been following their old rhetoric by making baseless allegations. “The government’s confusion is on the rise.”

He claimed that the PPP would emerge as a major force in the coming period.

On upcoming polls in Gilgit-Baltistan, he stressed the need for a free and fair election. The PPP leader underscored that there should be no interference of any kind in the polling process.

“The government has failed and is standing only on support,” he said, “As soon as the government is overthrown, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will disintegrate.”

Recalling past multi-party confab meetings, the central leader said that past APCs’ agendas were limited to the Kashmir issue, demand for better governance and economic reforms.

“We never sought to topple the government. We told [PM] Imran Khan we will support him, requested him to sign a Charter of Economy, despite all the name-calling. But now that there is a 100% failure, there is no other option,” Kaira added.

To a question regarding the joint session of parliament where FATF-related bills were passed, he admitted that the opposition should have had greater numbers present in parliament.

“Two of our members have contracted Covid-19, another member recently passed away, Khurshid Shah has been under NAB custody for more than a year [...] Asif Ali Zardari did not attend owing to health concerns,” he explained.

Nonetheless, he said the opposition did have ample strength than the government. He added that a recount should have been done when the vote count was challenged. “These are the rules. It is not at the speaker’s discretion to not do a recount,” Kaira said.

With input from News Desk