You can’t do it alone, Fazl tells Shehbaz

DERA GHAZI KHAN:

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday told PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif that his party alone could not undo the damage inflicted on the country by the PTI government.

“Bringing the country back on the track of progress would not be easy as you [Shehbaz] think. It will be a challenge for you and all of us. We will have to face this challenge together,” he said while addressing a rally organised by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – an alliance of opposition parties – in Dera Ghazi Khan as part of its campaign against the rising inflation in the country.

Fazl, who heads the alliance, claimed that Prime Minister Imran Khan did not go to address the UN general assembly, because he knew that no leader was ready to shake hands with him.

“It’s out of this fear that he addresses the session via video link.”

The JUI-F chief also accused the PTI-led government of lying about its deal with the US.

Read More: Fazl, Shehbaz agree to convene PDM session by May end

“The Americans are asking for using our airspace [to deal with Afghanistan] and the PTI government has indeed given it to them,” he added.

“Pakistan is operating as their [Americans’] colony.”

The PDM chief questioned the move of placing head money on Taliban leaders, branding them as terrorists and attacking them, when they had reached an agreement with the US.

He noted that a country could maintain its foreign influence when it had a strong economy.

“When our economy was strong, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was then the Indian prime minister and belonged to the same BJP, came to Pakistan on a bus. But today, India is not ready to even look at us.”

Fazl claimed that the Imran Khan-led government was brought to power with the agenda of selling Kashmir. “After achieving that, he [PM Imran] is now on an agenda of destroying our relationship with China.”

He added that when our 70-year friendship with China translated into a financial relationship, the PTI government was trying to bring it to grinding halt.

“Today, when all the countries in our region are prospering -- with India and China clocking in a 9% plus growth rate and Bangladesh a little over 6%, we were in THE negative.

The JUI-F chief said PM Imran had accused the PML-N government of being corrupt.

“If that is the case, then he [Imran Khan] has outperformed them.”

He said they will not answer to this government at any forum. Instead, they would fight with it in the court of public.

Earlier, Shehbaz, while addressing the rally, reminded the participants of the services the Nawaz Sharif-led government had rendered for them,

He recalled that back when southern Punjab was facing floods, he had gone village to village to take stock of the situation.

He added that despite being cash strapped, the government went all out with its limited resource to mitigate their misery.

The PML-N president said his party had given schools, hospitals, a network of roads and motorways to southern Punjab.

“But this [PTI] government is only dropping one inflation bomb after another.”

He said the prices of fertilisers, fuel, gas and electricity had gone through the roof.

“During Nawaz Sharif’s tenure, Imran Khan used to say that the depreciation of currency and appreciation of fuel prices were a proof the sitting leaders’ corruption. Now, he [PM Imran] is impervious to the plight of the people.”

He said the “darkness” was nearing its end and they, under the leadership of Fazl, would wage a war against the “incompetent” PTI government.

“We will use our legal and constitutional right to send this government packing. We will stage a march against inflation and this government.”

Shehbaz also promised to make southern Punjab better than the central and northern parts of the province.