KARACHI: Leaders of opposition parties on Sunday labelled the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government as puppet and claimed it is going to fall soon. They expressed the fear that technocrats would be imposed on the country after the rulers ran away.

Speaking at an Iftar-dinner hosted by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Sindh president Shah Mohammad Shah at a hotel here on Sunday, they said that time had come to stop ‘undemocratic’ forces from taking important decisions for the country.

They termed the PTI government a torture for the people of the country and claimed that it had no policy for solving problems being faced by the general public. They called for a joint struggle by all political parties to get rid of the PTI government.

Ahsan Iqbal says due to government’s policies rupee will slide further

The Iftar-dinner was attended by PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal, former president Mamnoon Hussain, former governor of Sindh Mohammad Zubair, former chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, PPP Sindh president Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, general secretary Syed Waqar Mehdi, National Party leader Abdul Malik Baloch, former chief minister of Balochistan Sardar Sanaullah Zehri, former federal minister Abdul Qadir Baloch, Awami National Party leader Shahi Syed, Sajjad Ahmad of Awami Tehreek and Ghulam Shah of Sindh United Party, PML-N leader Miftah Ismail, Mirza Ishtiaq Baig, Asad Usmani and large number of PML-N workers.

Mr Iqbal in his speech said that he had brought a message of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from Kot Lakhpat jail for party workers that it was time for them to save Pakistan. He said Mr Sharif came back to Pakistan by leaving his wife on the deathbed and went to jail along with his daughter. He added that Mr Sharif had proved that he was a real leader who instead of compromising on principles preferred to face jail.

He criticised the performance of the government and termed it a threat to the country. There was sharp decline in the value of Pakistani currency against US dollar with the indication that it would go down further in coming days.

Recalling a statement of Imran Khan that he would commit suicide instead of going to the International Monetary Fund for a bailout package, the PML-N leader said that the prime minister had created such circumstances that the poor people of the country were compelled to commit suicide.

He said the price-hike in the country had made the life of poor people miserable.

PPP leader Nisar Khuhro criticised the performance of the PTI government, saying that it could not solve the problems of people.

He said that in this “Naya Pakistan” people had already suffered a lot. “We don’t want new Pakistan, but a better Pakistan.”

Abdul Malik Baloch said all political parties would have to make a joint strategy to take the country out of present political and economic crises.

Shahi Syed said that the present situation in the country did not augur well for its people.

In his address, Shah Mohammad Shah thanked the guests for coming to the Iftar-dinner party.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2019