RAWALPINDI: Awam Pakistan Party (APP) chief and former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday criticised both the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for doing nothing for the people.

“Former chairman of Tehreek-i-Insaf did nothing during his three years and eight months in power except politics of abuse while the current government had a fake mandate and had nothing to do with people’s problems,” he said while speaking at a gathering where former PML-N MPA Chaudhry Sarfraz Afzaal joined his party.

The former prime minister said those who were talking about respect of vote tried to bring constitutional amendment in the darkness of the night but failed to do so.

“It is strange that no one in the cabinet has seen the amendments and it was also not shown to the members of the parliament. Majority of the people in the Parliament had become members after stealing mandate in the rigged elections,” he added.

Mr Abbasi said the Punjab government tried to stop people from using their fundamental right of gathering. “People are facing problems due to the government and not from political gatherings,” he added.

On September 28, he said roads of Rawalpindi were blocked by placing containers on the motorway and the federal capital was completely closed. Peshawar Motorway was closed by placing sand walls on it.

He said every citizen of Pakistan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan had the right to stage protest in any part of the country and the Punjab government had no right to stop them.

“The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz I know never thought of stopping people from gatherings. When I was in the PML-N, we had seen the era of Gen Pervez Musharraf, PPP and PTI but we never wanted to stop people from attending political gatherings,” he added.

He said the police from one district were also staging protest on the national highway, adding that, “have you ever heard about police, who are responsible for providing protection to the citizens, themselves staging protests”?

The APP chief said the situation between Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was unbearable as it had created gaps between the provinces, adding that it was high time to unite the country and put it on the right path.

He said it was necessary to end political chaos to improve economy.

Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Sardar Mehtab Abbasi said there was a dire need to address political and economic concerns within the country.

Former PML-N MPA Chaudhry Sarfraz Afzal said he was joining Awam Pakistan Party as there was a ray of hope in the form of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. He said he had respect for Nawaz Sharif and it would remain even if he joined another party.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2024