–PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal blasts PTI govt over ‘incompetence, failed economy’
PESHAWAR/LAHORE/KARACHI/QUETTA: Major opposition parties on Thursday held countrywide protests against alleged rigging during the last year’s general elections, marking the one-year anniversary as ‘black day’.
The grand opposition alliance, comprising Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP) and others, are slated to hold rallies in Quetta, which will be addressed by PML-N’s Maryam Nawaz; in Karachi, the gathering will be addressed by PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari; while PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Fazlur Rahman will address gathering in Lahore and Peshawar, respectively.
PESHAWAR:
The ‘black day’ started in Peshawar with a public gathering at Motorway Chowk on Ring Road in Peshawar alongside members of opposition parties, including Qaumi Watan Party’s Chairman Aftab Sherpao and Awami National Party’s President Asfandyar Wali Khan.
Fazl, who was leading the rally, also addressed the gathering.
PML-N Ahsan Iqbal, who was in Peshawar to represent the PML-N, lashed out at ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for being unable to run the country.
“The government is incompetent and [it] has neither vision nor team of professionals for governing [the state],” said Iqbal while addressing the rally. “The PTI had said it will not take foreign loans but it went to almost every nation for this purpose,” he said.
He lamented that Imran Khan also went to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) despite lambasting previous PML-N government for taking the same route.
He slammed the government’s economic policies, saying that the growth rate during the PML-N tenure was 3.5 per cent which has now reduced to 3pc. He stressed that businesses were shutting down increasing unemployment in the country.
He maintained that Nawaz brought the country out of the time when there were bomb blasts on a daily basis. The PML-N leader further said that the government had backtracked from all its promises.
In a similar vein, ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan called the incumbent government selected.
“No matter how many times the National Assembly speaker restricts us calling it a selected government we will call it what it is,” he said.
Responding to allegations of him possessing undeclared overseas assets, the ANP chief said that he should be prosecuted if anything is proven against him.
LAHORE:
In Lahore, the PML-N and JUI-F workers started arriving at the Charing Cross to attend the rally that will be addressed by PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif.
Police have blocked the roads leading to The Mall and heavy contingents of anti-riot force are deployed at the venue.
چاروں صوبوں سے آرہی ہے ایک ہی آواز 25 جولائی کو ہمارا ووٹ چوری ہوگیا
اس سلیکٹیڈ حکومت کو نہیں مانتے نہیں مانتے نہیں مانتے @MaryamNSharif pic.twitter.com/K7qB2aQLb3
— زاہد لائلپوری (@zahid_pmln) July 25, 2019
QUETTA:
Meanwhile, PML-N VP Maryam Nawaz has reached to Quetta to address a rally alongside Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mahmood Achakzai at Ayub Stadium. Security has been beefed up around the stadium.
In a post shared on Twitter prior to her departure, Maryam wrote that every day under the current government — that she alleged had “stolen votes and was a fraud” — is a black day for the country.
KARACHI:
PPP will hold a power show in Karachi to protest against the alleged rigging in the general elections. Besides Bilawal, PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq will also address the gathering at Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah.
One GRAND show at Karachi right now! Big crowds pour in to observe #BlackDay with @BBhuttoZardari and joint Opposition! #SelectedHakumatNaManzur pic.twitter.com/bLpTsAc97A
— Maleeha Manzoor (@MaleehaManzoor) July 25, 2019
Ahead of the rally, preparations have been completed. Opposition parties have set up welcome camps around the location and strict security arrangements have been made.
