PESHAWAR: Adviser to Chief Minister Mushtaq Ghani has termed PTI’s march on Raiwind a symbolic peaceful protest against the rampant corruption in the country than merely a protest in front of the residence of prime minister.

“I am sure PML-N stick-wielding workers won’t be seen anywhere near when we start the march. I don’t think there is any reason to stop a peaceful protest by violence,” said Mr Ghani, who apparently held a press conference at Peshawar Press Club to publicise and speak on latest legislation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to curb corruption in government departments and another law to curb the mischief of private money-lending.

However, he couldn’t keep it strictly to the two new legislations passed by the provincial assembly. He said that Imran Khan was the man, who knocked doors of the National Assembly, Pakistan Election Commission, Supreme Court of Pakistan and even National Accountability Bureau to hold the prime minister accountable for tax-evasion.

Mushtaq Ghani says PML-N workers will not be seen anywhere when the march begins

“No one has the right to loot the people of this country. It is our constitutional right to protest and Raiwind march is a symbolic protest to let the prime minister know that if we can come this far we can go further too,” said Mr Ghani while stressing that it was going to be a peaceful protest.

He said that PML-N minister and workers threatening them looked like actors in Punjabi action films. “They are the best substitutes for Sultan Rahi,” said Mr Ghani.

The adviser, despite being representative of the provincial government, couldn’t help end the press conference himself making fun of PML-N threats to the Raiwind marchers.

Earlier, he started the press conference claiming that PTI government broke status quo and brought reforms in the system of government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under its reform agenda. He also took credit for record legislation in the province as according to him 100 bills were passed and about the same number were in the pipeline.

Mr Ghani said that the latest addition was Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whistle Blower’s Act, 2015 and another law to curb the mischief of private money-lending. The law would prohibit the business and practices of private money-lending and advancing loans and transactions based on interest as the adviser said that it was un-Islamic.

Mr Ghani said that laws like whistle blowers Act empowered a common man to pinpoint ongoing corruption in a department by simply reporting to the vigilance commission constituted under the law. The person’s identity would be kept secret and on solid evidence an inquiry would be conducted against the alleged corrupt official. The person who will blow whistle on a case of corruption would be getting 30 per cent of the amount recovered from the corrupt official along with a certificate of appreciation, however, if proven wrong he would be fined up to Rs100,000 for baseless allegations. Those officials, who would not cooperate with the commission, would be fined Rs50,000 and imprisoned for two years.

In the same manner, the law prohibiting private money-lending and advancing loans on interest would also provide relief to many people, who were forced to pay more than the loan money just because of the interest piling up, said Mr Ghani.

Published in Dawn September 21st, 2016