ISLAMABAD: Observing that the PTI-led government had no justification for ruling the country any more, two mainstream opposition parties on Thursday said a joint strategy to drive the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf out of power would be made shortly.

The announcement was made by central leaders of the PML-N and the PPP at a joint press conference shortly after staging a walkout from a joint session of parliament.

Speaking on the occasion, senior PPP leader Raja Pervez Ashraf cla­imed that the opposition was united and a joint strategy against the government would be made after Ashura.

In reply to a question, he said the date and venue for a multi-party conf­erence (MPC) were being worked out.

Date, venue for multi-party conference being worked out

He rejected President Arif Alvi’s address to the joint session of parliament “as a pack of lies” and said he spoke as if the government had made big achievements, while the situation on the ground was the opposite.

Claiming that the government has failed on all fronts, he criticised the PTI leaders over their claims and promises regarding price hike, 10 million jobs and five million houses.

“It is perhaps the worst government on the planet,” the PPP leader said.

He said the people of the country and the youth in particular were being hoodwinked.

Mr Ashraf said that the positive thing was that these facts were now known to the people and the disappointment over the government’s performance was visible on social media, in markets and on the streets in the country.

He said the sooner the country got rid of the government, the better it would be for the people as well as the country.

He also questioned the justification for convening the joint session late in the night and sought to know as to what the emergency was.

PML-N leader Khawaja Muham­mad Asif said the government was celebrating ruination of the economy.

He said the government had failed to address all the issues being faced by the country and it was following a confused foreign policy.

He said unlike the government’s claims, corruption was at its peak and regretted that central characters of the sugar scam had been allowed to flee the country.

Published in Dawn, August 21st, 2020