Rashid predicts next 45 days vital for country’s politics

Former interior minister says ‘pro-India govt’ cannot function, elections will have to be held

RAWALPINDI:

Former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has predicted that the next 45 days are very important for the country's politics, saying that the slightest mistake can do a lot.

“A pro-India government which has come to power through the back door cannot function and new elections will have to be held,” the former interior minister said while addressing a protest rally held against the blasphemous remarks given by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party spokespersons.

The rally was attended by a large number of citizens who carried placards and banners with slogans against the Indian leaders.

Addressing the rally, Rashid said, “The government has been brought for anti-people decisions. It has relations with India and now it has increased electricity, gas and petrol prices.”

He said they were also ready to sit in the opposition, but a date “should be given for the elections as there is no other choice but to hold elections”.

Rashid said, “We are ready to sit in the opposition as civil disobedience is being tried in the country, civil war is being waged, and the poor are being killed.”

He said, “The imported government has killed the poor. We reject the 15% increase in salaries as inflation has increased 500 times.”

In the federal budget 2022-23, the incumbent government announced a hike of 15% in the salaries of government employees.

Rashid announced that former prime minister Imran Khan would soon lead a massive rally from Faizabad to Islamabad in protest against the soaring inflation.

He said that removing Imran from power through a foreign conspiracy was a conspiracy of a foreign country, adding that the statement from the United States mentioned the no-confidence motion six times and Imran four times. “Sorry to say … the pro-India government in Pakistan has been brought through the back door with one vote.”

“I salute the greatness and sacrifices of Pakistan Army but I can clearly say that Imran Khan has been abused,” Rashid said. “August 14 will be celebrated in true freedom … Lal Haveli stood with the army and will stand.”

He said, “The MQM-P leaving the Imran government is a question mark.”

Rashid said that he had declared June-July as the most important months for the country's politics and his prediction that Sheen (Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister) would emerge from Noon (Nawaz Sharif, N-league quaid) had come true. “Now look, Shen has formed the government.”

He dared Nawaz to come back to the country.

He said that “Imran Khan kept crying Maqsood Chaprasi” and as soon as “Shehbaz came to power, Maqsood Chaprasi died or was killed”.

Maqsood Chaprasi was the key suspect in the Rs16 billion money laundering case against the Sharif family. He died on June 6 in Dubai. The FIA court had declared him a fugitive.

“All of them have disposed of NAB cases,” Rashid added.