–APC says PTI running govt through ordinances
–Opp leaders slam govt ministers for making CPEC controversial, oppose establishment of CPEC Authority
ISLAMABAD: The opposition leaders reiterated their demand for transparent elections after a meeting of the All Parties Conference on Tuesday that was called by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to chalk out the future strategy against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The demand was made by JUI-F chief, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal while addressing the media after the all parties conference.
The JUI-F chief said the meeting expressed firm support for the four-point agenda of the joint opposition. He said that rule of law and constitution would be ensured and all institutions have to remain in their limits.
He said the struggle of opposition would continue until the agenda is completed.
He said PTI foreign funding case should be heard and local governments must be restored. Fazl said statements of ministers have made China-Pakistan Corridor Authority (CPEC) controversial, voicing concern over the establishment of the CPEC Authority.
The federal government had notified earlier in the day the appointment of Lt Gen (r) Asim Bajwa as the first chairman of CPEC Authority, a body established through a presidential ordinance last month for prompt implementation of CPEC projects.
A debate has been generated since US diplomat Alice Wells statement that Pakistan faced long-term economic damage with little return if China keeps pursuing its giant infrastructure push. Hours after her speech in Washington, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing, gave a point-by-point reply to Wells assertions, stressing that the CPEC was win-win cooperation for the benefit of the two countries.
Planning Minister Asad Umar also brushed aside US concerns as “wrong analysis” and called CPEC a “blessing” for Pakistan.
“CPEC has been made controversial due to irresponsible statements of federal ministers,” Fazl said.
“The establishment of autonomous CPEC Authority was unnecessary and against the decision of a parliamentary committee,” the JUI-F chief said.
The veteran politician said the moot had condemned Punjab’s government move of suspending all local government departments.
“Opposition parties condemned the undemocratic suspension of local government institutions and demand the government to restore them,” he said.
Fazl said the APC had censured desecration of the Holy Quran in Norway, and demanded the authorities to raise the matter with the Norwegian counterparts to stop such incidents in the future.
Struggle against the government will continue and the opposition parties will continue their protests across districts, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Bilawal said all opposition parties were in agreement that free and fair elections be held to overcome the “prevailing crisis” in the country.
“Removal of the incumbent government is the solution to political and economic crisis in the country, ” he said. “Opposition parties have rejected the selected prime minister.”
He complained that the federal government was not allowing personal physicians of ailing former president Asif Ali Zardari to visit him in jail.
Iqbal also reiterated the demand of fresh elections, saying that the incumbent government, within 15 months of its rule, had destroyed the country’s governance structure.
“They’re incapable of running the state’s affairs… the government is being run through presidential ordinances and unemployment is on the rise,” he said. “They have even made a mockery of a highly-sensitive post of the country.”
