Custodians of status quo to have no role in future political landscape: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

PAT chief Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that those who supported the oppressive government against the sit-in are expressing their regret today. He said had politics of deals and collusion not intervened, the sun of real democracy would have risen today and the people would not have been suffering the ills of load-shedding, injustice and excesses of the executive. He said that PAT staged the sit-in for restoration of the rights of 190 million people and seeking justice for Model Town martyrs, adding that this struggle and sacrifice would not go in vain. He said that it was not one-time event, stating that it would have far-reaching consequences for the country and its fruits are bound to appear.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri expressed these views while talking to central leaders and office holders of the party at his residence yesterday.

Dr Qadri said that today every political party, leaders, workers and people at large are protesting the government’s bad governance, corruption and incompetence. So much so that even the legislators belonging to the ruling party are giving deadlines to lodge a protest over the government’s failures. He said that this system, which is based on loot and plunder, is in a terminal state and the very soon political parties that are custodian of the status quo would be wiped out of the national political scenario and the corruption leaderships will be nowhere in sight. He said that the government gets the mandate of five years to serve the masses, not to add to their woes, and hardships and plunder the resources.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that it is a worldwide practice in the developed world that the democratic governments present their performance of one year and priorities before their people. He said that the present government has nothing concrete to show in over 700 days since coming into power and its every new day is worse than its yesterday. He said that the principal reason of this downward slide is the absence of system of checks and balances. He said that it is a strange paradox that economy seems to find its feet and achieve a measure of stability during martial laws and the people are made shareholder in powers and resources through implementation of the local government system but in the tenures of the so-called democratic governments, people are shunted out of national political landscape and resources and powers remain in the tight grip of a few families.

Referring to the SC’s anger over the government’s failure to hold LG polls, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said how much shameful it is that the apex court gave a number of deadlines for the conduct of local government elections in the country but the government has not carried out even initial legislation for the purpose, which is the worst example of ill will and deviation from the Constitution. He said that the remarks of honorable Justice of the Supreme Court regarding local government polls in Islamabad are before us.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri advised the central party leaders to focus on upcoming LG elections and expend their energies to make PAT the largest party at the grass-roots. He said that the PAT is the only party, which is owned by its workers and they are included in policy-making and decisions of the party.