Who is recognising Israel, asks PTI’s Sheikh

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Haleem Adil Sheikh said on Thursday that the people of Pakistan had rejected the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and that 11-party opposition alliance had failed to gain the nation's "attention and sympathy."

Addressing a press conference ahead of a public meeting held by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) In Karachi, Sheikh said Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who heads the JUI-F as well as the PDM, was staging an "anti-Israel rally on the day."

"But who is recognising Israel?" he posed a rhetorical question, maintaining that the narrative that Fazl had been trying to build against the government had fallen flat.

The PTI leader further said, "He [Fazl] made false claims of tendering resignations and made unsuccessful attempts at creating rifts among national security institutions.

Sheikh went on to say that the PDM had failed to rally people in the streets against the government during the demonstrations it staged outside the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

'Two sides of same coin'

Separately, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Senator Sirajul Haq dubbed the government and the PDM "two sides of the same coin."

Addressing the members of the Karachi Bar Association, Siraj said, "As the government showed incompetence, dishonesty and poor performance failing to provide people any relief during 950 days of its rule, the opposition stood by its side at all times."

"The Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim Leaguw-Nawaz and PTI are united on policies for economics, education and Kashmir. They are on the same page, working to enslave the country to the International Monetary Fund, World Bank," he said.

Siraj urged lawyers to work together with his party to ensure the delivery of justice in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2021.