NEW DELHI: Jamiat Ulema- e- Muslim- Fazl ( JUI- F) captain and Pakistani opposition leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, in his annual address on the floor of the National Assembly ( NA ) publish the 2024 votes, drew a striking contrast with India, asserting,” India is dreaming of becoming a powerhouse, while we are begging to avert bankruptcy. Who is responsible for this”?
Rehman, while taking a shrouded jibe at Pakistan’s Army, claimed that invisible forces are pulling the strings behind the scenes, making elected officials simple puppets. He alleged that the current parliament’s members were allegedly breaking their laws and” selling democracy” by claiming that “powers are behind the walls that control us and that they make decisions while we are just puppets.”
The opposition leader questioned whether Pakistan’s parliament truly represents the people’s will and expressed his concerns about the state of representation there. He claimed that bureaucrats choose the prime minister and that governments are created in palaces.
Rehman asked,” How long will we continue to compromise? How long will we look for support from outsiders to become lawmakers?
He criticized the alleged rigging in both the 2018 and 2024 elections, condemning the rise of supposedly fake representatives to power. Rehman expressed his dissatisfaction with the lawmakers ‘ inability to pass independent laws, and he also raised questions about accountability in a nation with security challenges. ” How can our conscience be clear when sitting in this assembly, as both the losers and winners are not satisfied”, he questioned.
Rehman lamented the existence of those who do not uphold Pakistan’s founding principles in positions of power and accused the current assemblies of being” sold off.” He criticized the country’s stagnation and emphasized the burden of the national debt on every citizen of Pakistan, claiming that these circumstances preclude progress. ” We have made our country a victim of stagnation, such nations cannot progress”, he added.
Furthermore, Rehman called for the Pakistan Tehreek- e- Insaf ( PTI ) to be allowed to hold public gatherings, emphasizing the importance of democratic rights. He announced plans for a ‘ million march’ in Karachi and Peshawar on May 2 and May 9, respectively, warning authorities against any attempts to obstruct the demonstrations. ” The people’s flood cannot be stopped, and those who try will face the consequences”, Rehman cautioned.
