Foreign influence deplored

Published March 25, 2002

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, March 24: Pir Khalid Raza Zakori, President of the Ittehad-ul-Mashaikh Pakistan, said here on Saturday evening a very small minority had captured the wealth and resources of the country, and pushed it to the brink of economic disaster.

He said Muslims of the subcontinent had demanded a separate homeland to get ride of the slavery of others but after the creation of Pakistan a particular group of politicians captured power, resulting in the prevalent unfortunate situation.

He was speaking at a gathering at local District Council Auditorium. The programme was arranged by the Pakistan Muslim League (Youth Wing).

Pir Zakori said the Muslims of India favoured Pakistan with the expectation that a strong and united Pakistan would save their rights but following the creation of the country wrong type of politicians came to power and made the lives of the citizens unsafe and miserable.

Though Pakistan was a sovereign state, he further said, “We are dependent on others in every walk of life and neither our economy nor our national politics are free from foreign influences.”

Referring to past wars between India and Pakistan, Pir Zakori said New Delhi had “never recognized our existence and is trying to wipe out our country from the world map.”

Pir Zakori lamented that the nation was divided on the basis of sectarianism, ethnicism and regionalism and, as such, “we have lost our integrity.”

He said if the country was strong, internally and externally, it would flourish, otherwise, its decline would continue unabated.

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