LAHORE, Oct 23: The joint opposition is planning to adopt a new strategy for forcing the government to bring constitutional amendments (LFO) to parliament, says Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan.
Talking to newsmen here on Thursday, he said the plan would be adopted in November on the completion of the first parliamentary year of the incumbent system.
Refusing to go into details, he said there would be a shift in the mode and intensity of protest in parliament as well as in streets.
About the existing strategy of the joint opposition on the issue, he said it had been fruitful as Commonwealth and other international bodies had reject the present set-up as democratic.
“No one in the world except the United States is supporting Gen Pervez Musharraf. And that, too, because he is siding with it in its so-called war on terrorism.”
The cricketer-turned-politician said the LFO was damaging four institutions — judiciary, parliament, executive (prime minister) and army — in one way or the other. However, he said, the opposition could not effectively counter the government propaganda that the nation was least concerned about the LFO.
Answering a question, he said he did not believe that the incumbent system would complete its term for all powers had been concentrated in an individual and federal as well as provincial cabinets had no say in any affair.
INDIAN PEACE OVERTURES: He supported holding of dialogue with New Delhi, saying the Kashmir issue would only be solved through dialogue.
He argued that friendly ties with India were better instead of going into the American slavery for fear of New Delhi.
ISRAEL: Opposing any plan of recognition of Israel by Islamabad, he said the Jewish state had been declared as illegal by the Quaid-i-Azam even before the creation of Pakistan.
Answering a question about Arab’s tilt towards New Delhi instead of Islamabad, he said it was Pakistan which had sided with imperialistic forces against Arabs during the former’s attack on Egypt on Suez Canal issue while India had taken a course contrary to it.
Even on the Iraq issue, he added, India had refused to commit troops for Baghdad while Pakistan was ready to do so under some conditions.
Urging the need for an independent foreign policy, he said “we have always been siding with imperialism while the Indians have always kept an independent approach towards each and every issue.”
OIC: Imran Khan proposed making Malaysian PM Mohathir Muhammad chairman of the OIC for at least three years to make it an effective body.
“It is he (Mohathir) who can talk to the Americans without any fear and can give courage to other dead souls in the OIC.”
PTI: Answering a question about his party’s future, he said it would give better results in future as most of the new young voters were supporting it.
He, however, hinted at the possibility of contesting the next elections in some coalition.
About some NGOs campaign against the Hudood Ordinance, he said if women were not satisfied, it should be reformed to remove its flaws.
He also opposed the proposed law aimed at giving powers to police for taking suo moto action in case of a complaint regarding domestic violence.