Awaam Pakistan issues white paper

Details solution to crises faced by country

ISLAMABAD:

Former prime minister and Awaam Pakistan (AP) party leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday censured the country's major political parties, accusing them of lacking a coherent thought process.

He emphasized his party's distinct approach, highlighting the creation of a think tank focused on identifying key issues and working towards solutions, which had led to the release of a white paper.

In July, a number of disgruntled members from the mainstream parties, mostly from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had launched their new political party, named AP, vowing to challenge the status quo and restore democracy. "Badlein Ge Nizam - Awaam Pakistan (the people of Pakistan will change the system)" is the slogan of the new party.

Addressing a ceremony in the federal capital, Abbasi criticized the major political parties, saying their ultimate aim was to come to power. He said these parties lacked a coherent thought process.

"Political parties do not have a think tank for which they struggle to address problems," he said, adding that his party's core stance was "power to the people and Pakistan belongs to all of us".

The AP leader praised his party, stating that its 'uniqueness' lay in first establishing a think tank that identified the country's problems and developed a comprehensive action plan to tackle them.

"Today, the think-tank has released its first white paper, which has acknowledged the role of women in the country's progress and advocated for their empowerment."

He stressed that women were the country's asset and it was the job of the state to provide them opportunities to progress. "Our country has immense potential; it simply needs the opportunity to unlock it."

He expressed regret that violating the Constitution had become a common practice in the country. "Today, if our country's leadership - including political, military, and judicial leaders - follows the Constitution, the country will prosper."

Abbasi noted that, today, laws were formulated to serve the government rather than the people, questioning how the country could progress under such circumstances.

In a veiled reference to former CJP Saqib Nisar, the AP leader remarked that it was not the job of a judge to construct dams. "Judges are claiming they are building dams and leaving a legacy, but that is not the job of a judge," he stated.

Responding to a question, Abbasi said he had addressed the issue of reserved seats in the context of the Constitution.