QUETTA: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Wednesday rejected electoral reforms and other bills passed by the Joint Session of the Parliament, saying that only a legitimate government can talk about such reforms.
“A bill is being formulated to bring SBP (State Bank of Pakistan) directly under IMF by the fraudulent government,” he said, referring to the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021 — granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis and the use of electronic voting machines – which the government managed to pass in a joint sitting or parliament earlier in the day.
He said that instead of fulfilling the promise of giving five million houses and 10 million jobs, the PTI government was destroying many homes. “We will not disappoint the nation. The country should have a constitutional and democratic rule,” he asserted.
He went on to criticise the government’s negotiations with IMF by stating that what would happen when the international financial institutions stopped giving loans to Pakistan one day.
The PDM chief urged the state institutions to “stay within their constitutional limits”.
“Questions are also being raised on our judiciary. We (civilians) have to run this country and its institutions,” Fazl said, while addressing a public gathering held at Quetta’s Hockey Chowk ground.
Fazl further added that the struggle against the government will continue.
Speaking on the occasion, Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai stated that Pakistan was sinking due to our own mistakes as we failed to establish a truly people’s government in the country.
“We fought for this country because we consider Pakistan as our motherland,” he added. “You could be jailed for talking about the constitution in this country.”
He stated that a round table conference will have to be convened for supremacy of the constitution. “We are out [on the streets] to save this country,” Mehmood said, adding that the country was caught playing a “dangerous game”.
President National Party Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said that the country will remain backward till the supremacy of the constitution and parliament.
“For the first time in history, people are selling their children due to high prices,” said Baloch, adding that PDM movement was aimed at supremacy of people and democracy.
He concluded by stating that the PDM will never accept the electronic voting system.
