ISLAMABAD, Dec 25 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Saturday said out of their obsession for power, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) leaders were treading an undemocratic path to dislodge a democratically elected government by creating chaos in the country through their protests.
He said,“The 11-party alliance, which is known as ‘PDM’, is only ‘democratic’ by virtue of its name, but its narrative has nothing to do with the democratic norms.”
The PDM’s narrative was ‘ridiculous’ as the so-called democratic alliance wanted to come into the power after toppling the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government through unconstitutional and undemocratic means, Shibli Faraz, who was flanked by Minister for Kashmir Affairs Ali Amin Gandapur, told a news conference.
He said the present government was a ‘democratic’ dispensation as it had come into the power after winning the last general election, which were held in a transparent manner and later verified by the international organizations including FAFEN (Free and Fair Election Network).
Unlike the PDM, Shibli Faraz said, the PTI had approached the apex court for recount of votes in four constituencies which led to the formation of a judicial commission and later it was proved that rigging did happen in those areas during the 2013 general election.
Likewise, the question [of election rigging] was also raised by the party at the Parliament, he recalled.
“Whether these political parties, claiming to be the champions of democracy, have utilized any such platform! Did they go to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) or plead their claim [of rigging] at any legal forum or raise the issue at the Parliament and in its committees?” Shibli said, while questioning the PDM’s credibility.
“What are the evidences they have,” Shibli added, while asking the opposition leaders to make the evidences public, if any, to justify their claim of alleged rigging in the last general election.
Shibli Faraz said the so-called democratic movement was out to take revenge from the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) for exposing the poor performance and corruption of its leadership, which had eroded their credibility.
“The people did not vote them [in the last general election] for their lack of performance (during their governments),” he said, asserting the public very well knew that they were not honest and ‘righteous’ anymore.
He said after two years, the PDM leaders, all of a sudden, started the anti-government movement when they could not blackmail the government over the Financial Action Task Force-related legislation and got convinced that they would never get any National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO)-like concession or relief.
Neither they had any evidence to prove their claim of rigging (in last general election), nor had pursued any legal procedure in that regard, he added.
He said the PDM was being led by a person, who faced a revolt in his own party from the senior leaders. Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief, like all other opposition leaders, had resorted to hurling threats at the state institutions instead of responding to his corruption cases in the courts.
Referring to JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri’s recent speech, he said the opposition parties had no interest in democracy as they just wanted to destabilize a democratically elected government.
Senior leaders of his own party, he added, had exposed Maulana Fzal Ur Rehman by declaring him as ‘selected’ and ‘liar’. It showed that the senior party members had no confidence in the Maulana, which made him ‘irrelevant’ politically.
Maulana Fazl was heading an 11-party alliance, which was taking its last breath due to difference of opinion among its leaders about the planned en mass resignations from the Parliament and the long march, he remarked To a query, the minister categorically rejected the impression that the government was behind the intra-party rift in the JUI-F.
It was not a new thing as in the past Maulana Fazl had been in the crosshairs for awarding party tickets to his own family members and dear ones by negating the democratic norms.
The revolt in the JUI-F ranks, he said, was inevitable. Such things did happen when the chief of a religious party, who instead of serving the cause of Islam indulged worldly things, he added.
The PDM was headed by a person, who had no respect even at his own home, the minister said.
Shibli Faraz said Maulana Fazl’s decision to expel some senior JUI-F members from the party exposed his ‘fascist’ and ‘undemocratic’ behaviour. Their only fault was to ask their leader for returning to the right path, he added.
At the onset of news conference, the minister wished a merry Christmas to the Christian community living in the country and across the globe. He also paid tribute to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for his efforts for the creation of Pakistan.
Lashing out at Maulana Fazl for his statements against the state institutions, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur said he should answer the questions asked about his assets, which he had made after coming into politics.But he had adopted an irresponsible attitude, which was unacceptable.
He had raised questions about the his property and other assets in his previous press conference, but he was avoiding to give answer for them and resorted to ‘mudslinging’ against institutions, he added.
The minister senior his own senior party members Maulana Sheerani and Hafiz Hussain Ahmad had termed Maulana Fazl a `liar and selected’ and alleged him of using seminary students for his political gains.
He said Maulana Fazl had blackmailed all the previous rulers Pervez Musharraf, Asif Ali Zardari Nawaz Sharif, and got personal benefits Prime Minister Imran Khan had presented his 40-year financial record and was termed as `Sadiq and Ameen’ by the apex court, but Maulana Fazl was reluctant to give answer about his assets, he added.
The minister said evidence was being collected about the `Benami properties’ of Maulana, he said.
He said the PDM parties had adopted an undemocratic path. However, the government was opposing their gatherings as they were putting the lives of innocent people amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.