Imran Khan addressing an Insaf Students Federation function in Karachi. PHOTO: COURTESY PTI
HYDERABAD: As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran Khan’s Sindh tour made a stop at the Sindh High Court Bar Association, Hyderabad, the leader asked lawyers to continue their struggle for the supremacy of the constitution and an independent judiciary.
“The country’s survival is only possible through good governance which has to be ensured through the supremacy of law,” he said while addressing a reception on Monday.
Referring to the National Accountability Bureau’s report about corruption and tax evasion of around Rs4,000 billion every year, Imran said the government is trying to bring a new National Reconciliation Ordinance. “It [the government] wants to protect the tax thieves and corrupt people so that they can be re-elected in the elections.”
On Sunday evening, at a joint press conference with Awami Tehreek, leaders of both parties emphasised that ‘patriotic’ parties need to unite to ‘salvage’ the country from internal and external threats.
“We [the country] are edging towards destruction. But we have to stop this drift,” said Imran who was joined by Awami Tehreek President Ayaz Palijo. “Pakistan is in danger and Sindh is also in danger,” Palijo contended, adding that under a global agenda new independent states are being planned in Pakistan, including one from Gwadar to Zulfikarabad.
Despite their consensus over security issues, they maintained a different stance over the Sindh Peoples Local Government Act 2012 (SPLGA) and the Kalabagh Dam.
While Palijo categorically rejected them, the PTI chief was cautious.
“We need an agreement between all the four provinces. Without this the dam can’t be built,” said Imran. Citing the depletion of water resources in the near future, he called for consensus in the country for water storage projects and sparing use of the resource.
The PTI chief favoured a local government system saying it empowers the ordinary people, especially in the rural areas. Almost all nationalist parties, however, continue to strongly oppose the SPLGA 2012. Imran also attended Sindhi culture day celebrations organised by Insaf Students Federation in Hyderabad, where he announced that the second phase of the party’s elections will soon start in Sindh and Balochistan.
Winding up his two-day visit to the six districts of Sindh, Imran went to Dadu on Monday where he led a rally of the party’s supporters. Earlier on Sunday, he visited Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar and Jamshoro.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2012.
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@Mehran. It is a fact that people of interior Sindh always elect the Waderas who believe in provincial autonomy but now local self government. It is because under local self government most of the city revenue is reinvested in city infrastruture as the representatives belong to that city. On the other hand in commissioner system the power goes in the hand of commissioners and AC who are mostly from wadera families of interior sindh. They rob the cities naked because they do not live there.
praying for ur success
Pls wash out this misconception once for all that people of Sindh are against local govt system, how ever we consider current SPLG Bill unacceptable because it was issued with mala-fide intentions by PPP to appease MQM and favor only one party. Local govt system should address grievance of whole province of Sindh and it should not be used to create province within province mindset.