PTI march: Only undemocratic govts fear protest, says Hashmi

Says fresh elections can be held any time.

MULTAN:

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) President Javed Hashmi said on Thursday only undemocratic governments were afraid of peaceful protests.

Talking to reporters in Multan, Hashmi said a democratic government was never afraid of people’s power. “An undemocratic government is afraid of the power of the people uniting for a revolution,” the PTI leader said.

Hashmi said fresh elections could be held any time. He said the PTI’s demand of recounting of votes could be easily met.

“We have not demanded anything new. A democratic leader, like Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, should not hesitate to accept the demand,” he said. However, the PTI leader said, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leadership was no longer concerned with the people’s problems.

“He is not worried about the grievances and problems of the people of Karachi or south of Punjab,” he said.

Hashmi said in democratic countries government leaders resigned when they failed to fulfill their promises.

“However, no resignation should be expected from the PML-N leadership even though the country is facing huge problems. Instead, they want to impose dynastic rule in the country,” the PTI leader said. Referring to the operation against terrorists near Raiwind, the PTI leader said the prime minister should tender his resignation over the incident.

He claimed that the PML-N had rigged the 2013 general elections. “They stole the PTI’s mandate in the elections. They made a mistake because they underestimated the power of the Pakistani people,” he said. Talking about the energy crisis in the country, he said the Nandipur power plant had to be closed down only three days after its inauguration. “The government has wasted Rs25 billion on a useless project,” he said.

Referring to the recent statements issued by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership, he said that PPP was no longer a united political party. “The PPP is no more than a collection of small groups. Asif Ali Zardari has brought more harm to the PPP than Gen Ziaul Haq did during his rule,” Hashmi said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2014.