‘Pakhtuns being blamed unnecessarily’
KARACHI:
At a meeting with journalists on Sunday, chief of the Awami Muslim League and former federal minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed declared the next few months to be the most crucial for the government that is faced with terrorism as its biggest challenge. “Those carrying out bombings and spreading terror across the country are not Pakhtuns, but Punjabis. The Pakhtuns are unnecessarily being blamed,” he said.
During his talk at a local hotel, Rashid spoke on a number of issues. The government, he said, has failed to provide relief to the people when inflation had surged, making it difficult to earn a livelihood. “Look at the prices of commodity items in markets. Why is the government unable to provide relief despite being in power for more than two and half years? People were exporting daal while the common man was deprived of this cheap meal. Who are these people and how did they acquire permits to export?” questioned Rasheed.
He also referred to the recent statement by the Sindh Chief Minister over the NFC and Value Added Tax (VAT)issue. The CM had claimed that some officers of the federal government had fooled the president and CM over NFC and VAT issue, he stated. Rashid said that the provincial chief executive’s claims on the floor of the house needed no other admittance to failure. He said that the whole idea had been a joke but the government had celebrated it as a historic event. “The time has come for people to stand up and question the government,” Rasheed remarked.
Talking about the deterioration of railways, which was also his previous ministry, Rasheed predicted that it would soon become the country’s most heavily indebted department.
He further added that the time had come for people to come out on streets and protest. Rasheed claimed that he foresaw such a situation, hinting at a change in government within the next few months. “If the government survives this time, then it can manage a longer term but there is little chance of that happening,” Rasheed predicted.
In response to a question about the joint chief of forces retirement, Rashid remarked that that Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani would not accept the slot based on his personality. However, he believed that someone else would soon fill in.
Also present at the press conference were the Sindh chapter AML’s Mahfooz Yar Khan other local party members.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2010.
At a meeting with journalists on Sunday, chief of the Awami Muslim League and former federal minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed declared the next few months to be the most crucial for the government that is faced with terrorism as its biggest challenge. “Those carrying out bombings and spreading terror across the country are not Pakhtuns, but Punjabis. The Pakhtuns are unnecessarily being blamed,” he said.
During his talk at a local hotel, Rashid spoke on a number of issues. The government, he said, has failed to provide relief to the people when inflation had surged, making it difficult to earn a livelihood. “Look at the prices of commodity items in markets. Why is the government unable to provide relief despite being in power for more than two and half years? People were exporting daal while the common man was deprived of this cheap meal. Who are these people and how did they acquire permits to export?” questioned Rasheed.
He also referred to the recent statement by the Sindh Chief Minister over the NFC and Value Added Tax (VAT)issue. The CM had claimed that some officers of the federal government had fooled the president and CM over NFC and VAT issue, he stated. Rashid said that the provincial chief executive’s claims on the floor of the house needed no other admittance to failure. He said that the whole idea had been a joke but the government had celebrated it as a historic event. “The time has come for people to stand up and question the government,” Rasheed remarked.
Talking about the deterioration of railways, which was also his previous ministry, Rasheed predicted that it would soon become the country’s most heavily indebted department.
He further added that the time had come for people to come out on streets and protest. Rasheed claimed that he foresaw such a situation, hinting at a change in government within the next few months. “If the government survives this time, then it can manage a longer term but there is little chance of that happening,” Rasheed predicted.
In response to a question about the joint chief of forces retirement, Rashid remarked that that Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani would not accept the slot based on his personality. However, he believed that someone else would soon fill in.
Also present at the press conference were the Sindh chapter AML’s Mahfooz Yar Khan other local party members.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2010.