The opposition leadership Saturday called on the prime minister and his cabinet members to answer for the stark difference between their lavish lifestyle and the misery of the common man. It was noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has not held a single press conference or given an interview in two and a half years. Speaking at a news conference here, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Nasir Abbas, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra and former Sindh governor Zubair Umar challenged the regime to provide answers on fundamental economic and public issues.
Citing a recent widely discussed statement by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Allama Nasir said the economic and judicial systems had been completely destroyed. He also charged that the conduct of those in power is astonishing, whereas using aircraft funded by taxes and public money is wrong. He pointed out that the Holy Quran has declared wasteful expenditure Haram (forbidden), hence using aircraft funded by public money is forbidden.
The opposition leader wondered that while no one trusts the rulers, they are taking a step towards the creation of new provinces. The events at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), he noted, are signs of the country's deteriorating state. Moreover, Imaan Mazari and Hadi Ali Chattha were arrested despite court orders for their release.
"Imaan Mazari deserves to be garlanded for raising her voice. The prime minister has daughters too; she is also someone's daughter," he remarked. Speaking on the occasion, Jhagra insisted that if a jet worth Rs10 billion can be purchased, then why can't relief be provided to the public?
"A jet could have been chartered for just a few crore rupees; what was the need to spend Rs10 billion?" he contended. He alleged that the rulers take pride in purchasing a jet worth billions but show no regard for the hardships faced by the public. He also noted that if the chief minister was on official duty, then why were expenses of Rs3 crore incurred for a private visit?
"And, if it was an official visit, then the expenses should have been borne by the public exchequer; if it was a private visit, why were state facilities utilised?" he maintained. Contrary to the Punjab chief minister's claims regarding the rivals, he insisted that the opposition is not permitted to hold political activities or gatherings in Punjab. He also challenged that if so much development work has taken place in Punjab, then the public should be granted the freedom of expression and the right to protest.
Jhagra noted that Mohsin Naqvi himself admitted that the system has collapsed; therefore, the Punjab chief minister should answer to Mohsin Naqvi rather than to YouTubers. He called on the prime minister and other ruling party leaders to answer the public's questions. He regretted that it is deplorable to spend billions on government extravagances in a province where children lack access to basic medical treatment.
Jhagra made it clear the party founding chairman's Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital project cannot be dismantled, even despite his three-year imprisonment, as he had pledged to establish a cancer hospital in every division within one year. The credit for the concept of the Health Card and the politics of public service, he claimed, belongs to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman, and the public will not be fooled by replacing the Health Card with various other cards featuring the images of government figures.