Government broke all records of mega corruption: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leader Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the government has broken all records of mega corruption. He said that political corruption had been named as democracy, adding that the system of government was based on violation of the Constitution and electoral system was the biggest enemy of the state and society. He said that it was wrong to say that rigging took place in a few constituencies, further saying that rather it was a countrywide phenomenon which was witnessed in every constituency. He said that the Prime Minister, who crushed the decision of the Supreme Court under his feet, should be sent home for committing contempt of court. He said that peaceful demonstrations of May 11 were the constitutional right of the people. He said that he did not entertain any security reservations rather what he was concerned about were political reservations. He asked the rulers to depute thousands of police officials detailed for their personal security for the protection of the people for one day. Warning those who intended to create hurdles in the way of protestors, he said that they should beware that peaceful PAT workers had not worn bangles.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri stated this while addressing a heavily crowded press conference at the central secretariat in Lahore through a video conference from abroad. He said that the rulers had given instructions to the police and local administrations to stop our demonstrations and the officials of the district administrations had been threatening and intimidating transporters with dire consequences if they rented their vehicles to the PAT workers. He said that if hurdles were created and marchers were stopped from staging demonstrations, the rulers should not forget that our workers were not wearing bangles.

Dr Qadri said that the current rulers caused a loss of Rs. 478 billion to the national exchequer by offering illegal tax exemptions through issuance of 80 SROs. He said that FBR, at the best of rulers, reduced federal excise duty from 8 % to 0.50% to benefit the sugar industry. He said that the owners of sugar mills were given a financial benefit of Rs. 112 billion through concessions in sales tax. He further revealed that a loss of Rs. 350 billion was caused to national exchequer by eliminating customs duty in one agreement. He said that the rulers broke 28-year old record of seeking maximum foreign loans from the international financial institutions. He made it clear that the successive governments took a loan of $59 billion in 28 years, whereas the present rulers had got a loan of $24 billion approved by various IFIs in the first year of five-year rule.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in one of its decisions on July 22 last year, ordered the government to constitute a high-powered Commission to make appointments of the heads of 58 public sector enterprises, adding that the Prime Minister, though an executive notification, assigned unto himself the powers of appointing heads of 35 public sector entities. He said that this action of the Prime Minister clearly constituted contempt of the highest court of the land. He demanded that the chief executive of the country should be sent home on this unconstitutional act.

Dr Qadri said that the Parliament was a dumb and deaf institution. He said that the members of Parliament did not raise important national matters for discussion in the Parliament. He said that the ministers and members of legislatures have to wait for three months to get appointment with the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. He further stated that the government removed the Chairmen of PEMRA, NADRA and the Governor of the State Bank for their refusal to abide by the rulers’ illegal dictates and orders. He said that full one year had been wasted in the name of talks with the Taliban. He said that the government and Taliban and their respective committees were on the one page while the people and the armed forces stood together on another page. He said that the defence institutions were attacked and the sacrifices of the martyrs were mocked through a carefully calibrated conspiracy.