All Parties Conference: Opposition demands resignation of PM Imran, announces long march

The APC decided to hold a long march against the government in January 2021.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The 11-party Opposition All Parties Conference (APC) hosted by Chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday demanded resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The 26-point resolution passed by the APC stated that the opposition had decided to form a national alliance in the name of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

The 26-point resolution passed by the APC stated that the opposition had decided to form a national alliance in the name of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

The resolution, read out by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at a press conference at the end of the APC on Sunday.

He said that the resolution declared that the incumbent government has been granted fake stability by the establishment that has imposed it on the people through rigged elections. The resolution expressed concern over the increasing interference of the establishment in internal affairs of the country.

The JUI-F chief said the resolution while calling for free and fair elections in the country called for electoral reforms and the members arrested in false cases should be released.

Fazlur Rehman said: “The huddle also condemned the nefarious intention to abolish local bodies in Punjab, introduce a presidential system in the country and cut the budget for higher education.”

He said, "The selected government has ruined the common man s life with rising inflation, unemployment, and taxes and demand that the prices of flour, sugar, ghee, electricity and gas be immediately brought down."

Fazlur Rehman said that the "selected" government was responsible for the fall of Kashmir. The resolution also demanded implementation of Aghaz-e-Haqooq Balochistan and restoration of civil authority in Balochistan instead of FC.

The APC expressed grave concerns over the "complete failure" of the government s policy regarding Afghanistan, said the JUI-F chief.

The JUI-F chief said the resolution called for the formation of a committee to compile the Truth Commission and the Charter of Pakistan to document the history from 1947 to date. The committee will determine the direction of the Islamic Democratic Welfare State while the national alliance will launch an organized protest movement against the government.

He said the resolution stated that incidents of terrorism have increased in the country due to the non-implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP), adding that the inexperienced government has jeopardized Pak-China Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The unanimous resolution of the opposition called for holding transparent elections in Gilgit-Baltistan. The APC also ratified the resolution of Pakistan Bar Council calling for an end to the disappearance of Pakistani nationals. 

Earlier today, former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, in his address said that they will sent government packing to restore democracy and save the country. Foundation of a country is laid on democracy, after which prosperity follows, he added.

Asif Zardari also thanked PML-N supremo for accepting PPP’s invitation and said that Benazir Bhutto signed charter of democracy with Nawaz Sharif and both parties cooperated to remove Musharraf from office and pass 18th amendment.

He further said that 18th amendment is a wall around the constitution and because of this amendment, no one can look at the constitution with evil intensions.

"We have never seen such stringent censorship across the country," Zardari stated. "This reflects on the weakness of the government. It is impossible to curtail the emerging voices of the media.

The ex-president also especially welcomed PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, saying he was "fully aware of the hardships you’ve been through and respect that".

"My solidarity is with Maryam Nawaz Sharif; she is like my daughters, she has suffered a lot in her struggle, and we stand by her.

"My message to Pakistani people is that we have not united together to save democracy in the country and with the press, we will win through this," he added.

Pakistan has become a laboratory of experiments: Nawaz Sharif

Nawaz then addressed participants via video link from London, marking his political comeback after more than a year. He started by thanking Zardari, saying he would not forget the love with which he spoke to him a day earlier.

Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan has become a laboratory of "such experiments" and every child knows that no prime minister has been allowed to complete five years in power. It’s not even taken into account that the democratic structure of the country is demolished due to such tactics and the public loses faith in the system.

PML-N supremo said that democracy is in danger and he agrees with Maulana Fazlur Rehman that we need to make this conference purposeful or people will be disappointed. "If we don’t do it [take a step] today, when will we?" asked Nawaz.

Speaking about the 2018 elections, he said the the primary reason for the current problems were those people who "hijacked the people’s mandate by putting inexperienced people in power".

He also repeated opposition’s allegation that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), with the connivance of PTI, was carrying out only "selective accountability".

Bilawal demands level playing field

PPP Chairman Bilawal, during his address emphasised the need for the APC to come up with a proper plan of action for "gaining freedom for the people" and said people are expecting a plan not just statements and resolutions.

“If the elected representatives of people cannot even speak in parliament and get their votes re-counted, what hope the nation will have?" Bilawal asked. He demanded that the opposition be given a level-playing field.

Bilawal Bhutto said “If our voices do not go to people through media, we will have to go directly to them". We will not just challenge the government from the streets but also from the parliament, he added.

PPP leader also vowed to continue fighting to liberate the people from misery and torment. He also announced to honor decisions taken by the ongoing APC.

Moments before the meeting, Bilawal Bhutto in a tweet, said that two years of ‘selected’ experiment have disastrous consequences for Pakistan. Today Pakistan’s opposition parties will unite to hold this regime to account.”

He added Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has destroyed democracy, economy and foreign policy. Democracy is the best revenge, he added.

Govt has failed in every aspect: Shehbaz Sharif

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif took the mic next, saying that the government has failed in every aspect and “selected PM” has left poor people at mercy of the floods.

Four million people have lost their jobs, free medicines are no longer provided in the hospitals, price of sugar has crossed Rs100 and price of wheat is at record high during first two years of current government, he added.

Shehbaz Sharif further said that dictatorships in the country’s history has put a black mark on everything including democracy.

Talking about the 2018 elections, he said: "Remember when a selected government came into power and the selected prime minister promised the nation that the discrepancy in the elections, the disappearance of the RTS system, and the pre-engineering of election results would be investigated."

Shehbaz claimed that the committee formed to investigate had not made even "an inch of progress".

Fazl proposes resignations

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman proposed resignations from the assemblies and immediate dissolution of the Sindh Assembly.

Addressing the All Parties Conference (APC) hosted by the Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), he said that the decision regarding resignation from the assemblies should be taken today.

The JUI-F chief said that the bottom line is that he no longer believe in verbal claims, adding that the instead of verbal claims, the opposition parties would now have to talk in writing.

Fazlur Rehman said that the restrictions have been imposed on media that they are not broadcasting our speeches and gatherings of millions of people.

"We have to decide today whether we will resign from the assemblies," he said and added the assemblies, including the prime minister, and in my opinion, the Senate chairman are also fake.

Sources said that while recording his protest on the occasion, the JUI-F chief said that said that the media was not showing his speech and even the APC has also stopped it from being aired.