KARACHI: The Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) demanded on Sunday the resignation of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for what it called “putting the national security at risk”.

The demand was made by MWM secretary general Allama Raja Nasir Abbas at the “Stability of Pakistan and Imam Mehdi Conference” at Nishtar Park.

He was critical of the 41-nation Saudi-led military alliance, of which Pakistan is also a part.

Condemns media projection of Ehsanullah Ehsan

Stressing the need for immediate withdrawal from the military alliance, he said: “We have already a paid heavy price due to Gen Zia’s policy which promoted extremism and the country was devastated. The joining of a new military alliance amounts to pushing Pakistan again into new quagmire.”

He said Pakistan needed a robust and fair foreign policy that must be based on principles.

He said the founding fathers of Pakistan — Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal — had never dreamt of a Pakistan that the PML-N government had made. “Pakistan is being ruled by corrupt politicians, who must be held accountable first as they serve their business interests instead of advancing Pakistan’s legitimate interest as a nation,” he said.

The MWM leader demanded friendly policies for all neighbouring countries, including Iran and Afghanistan.

Announcing full support for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, he called for implementation of the National Action Plan in letter and spirit. Extremism must be eliminated from all over the country and terrorists must be hanged, he said.

He demanded that those involved in killing Shias be tried in the military courts and given death sentence.

Announcing support for Operation Raddul Fasaad, he criticised the government for unemployment in the country, bad economic conditions, less foreign direct investment in Pakistan, etc. The MWM leader said his party would continue its struggle and join hands with all likeminded parties to exert pressure on the government to focus on making Pakistan an invincible country.

Allama Ameen Shaheedi, Mirza Mohammad Yusuf Hussain, Allama Mukhtar Imami, Allama Iqbal Behshti, Syed Ali Hussain Naqvi, Allama Zaheerul Hasan Kerbalai, Maulana Baqir Abbas Zaidi and other leaders also addressed the conference.

Over a dozen resolutions demanding Pakistan’s withdrawal from the Saudi-led military alliance were also adopted. The gathering resolved that important decisions related to national security and other policies should be made in parliament.

“This huge public gathering demands the PM to resign due to his and his family’s involvement in the cases disclosed by Panama Papers.”

Terrorism cases such as Ashura tragedy in Karachi must be transferred to military courts for trial.

The conference warned against a plot aimed at restricting Azadari (mourning) in the garb of implementation on the National Action Plan.

Through another resolution, the MWM condemned the media projection of outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan’s spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, who was said to be involved in the massacre of innocent schoolchildren in Peshawar.

The conference also held the provincial government responsible for Karachi woes. It demanded that the government must take steps to improve the living standard of the people of entire Sindh.

Another resolution demanded that Gilgit-Baltistan be made the fifth province of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2017