Pakistan a classic example of elite capture, not democracy, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

Addressing the International Workers Convention, Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that what passed off as democracy in the country is basically an ‘elite capture’ that has deprived people of their fundamental rights. He said that the incumbent system deserved to be named as political authoritarianism, monarchy and dynastic rule, which was aimed at plundering the national resources. He said that the protectors and beneficiaries of the system had left the poor people at the mercy of looters, terrorists, militants, robbers, thieves, and the kidnappers.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the country, gifted by the Quaid-e-Azam, did not have anything to offer to the millions of the poor and the middle and lower middle classes, adding that they were no more stakeholders in the system. He said that the powers that be had turned the country into their business empire for their trade and commercial interests and held it hostage to the major powers. He said that it explained why the rulers were disconnected from the people and did not refrain from telling lies to them. He said that they had different kind of agreements and deals with global powers but chose to tell a different story altogether on the floor of Parliament and in press conferences just to hoodwink people and get them stuck up in new debates.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the Prime Minister settled for something else in his visit to Washington while a contrary picture was being portrayed before the people for domestic consumption. He said that a lot of hue and cry was being raised and fake anger being expressed in the wake of recent drone strike. He said that he was saying this with full responsibility that the Interior Minister’s designation of drone attack as ‘murder of peace process’ was cooked up and fake. He said that a date would be fixed to convene an APC and take Parliament into confidence so that the matter got submerged in other issues and lost spotlight. The people would forget it after some time, he maintained.

Dr Qadri said that he was presenting a proof that according to joint communiqué issued by the White House after the meeting between president Obama and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on October 23, the matter of drone strike did not come up for discussions. He said that the rulers should be ashamed of themselves while telling lies and cooking up stories before the nation. He said that the fact of the matter was that the policy of the present government vis-à-vis drones was continuation of the policy of the Musharraf government and the Zardari government, adding that pretense was being made before the people.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri directed the workers to make final preparations for revolution. He said that campaign for democratic and peaceful change would have people of all sections of society, both rich and the poor as equal stakeholders. He said that all people irrespective of their class and background had shared challenges and opportunities and would strive to change the destiny together in a spirit of mutual brotherhood.

Dr Qadri asked the workers and people at large to present a view of revolution on the occasion of international Mawlid-un-Nabi Conference 2014, adding that the sight should be unrivalled and un-paralleled in history. He said that the same should be replicated at tehsil and district headquarters.

Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, Chairman of MQI’s Supreme Council, Sahibzada Faiz-ur-Rehman Durrani, Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz, Khurram Nawaz Gandapur and other leaders were also present on the occasion. Minhaj TV broadcast the proceedings around the world.