ISLAMABAD:
Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub has strongly criticized authorities for placing curbs on media outlets which, he said, are not free to broadcast the opposition groups’ narrative.
Speaking at the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Conference in Islamabad on Sunday, he asserted that he could confidently state that his statements critical of the powers that be will not be telecast by the news channels covering the event.
He asked as to what was the definition of a state and then himself answered that the state was synonymous with parliament while the state institutions were its tools. “However, the current situation is like a doorkeeper taking over the house.”
He reiterated his allegations that President Asif Ali Zardari, who also co-chairs the PPP, “sold” Sindh’s water and now he is “shedding crocodile tears”.
The PML-N led coalition government is working on a canal project to divert the Indus River’s water to irrigate desert land in the Cholistan area of Punjab as part of the Green Pakistan Initiative.
Referring to the recent PPP statements, Omar Ayub, who belongs to Imran Khan’s PTI, claimed that President Zardari was briefed on the Green Pakistan Initiative in June 2024 and that he gave the project his seal of approval.
“Asif [Ali] Zardari himself sold the water of Sindh and now he is shedding crocodile tears. The federal ministers [who attended the briefing] also confirm that,” Omar said.
He asked how Pakistan could become a hard state when there is no stability and no rule of law.
“How could the country progress when it has no money; when there is chaos and when the defense is weak?” he asked.
Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai stated that if we want to save this country, we must ensure the implementation of the Constitution, which is a form of a social contract. He said intelligence agencies must also be held accountable under the Constitution.
“Any government that comes to power through coercion and rigging, and denies people their rights, cannot be accepted. A vote of no confidence should be brought against the National Assembly speaker, and fake committees should be boycotted.
“Public representatives must unite and present the truth before the international community,” he said.
Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri of the MWM said a strong Pakistan requires a robust economy, sustainable peace, stable defense and national harmony.
He expressed regret that freedom of expression has been taken away. “The media exists but broadcasting is restricted. Today, media houses are entangled in personal interests, particularly in the property business,” he added.
Former Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the country is currently going through a severe crisis.
“Restrictions on freedom of expression, unrest in Parachinar, Balochistan, the K-P, and southern Pakistan, and the closure of canal water in Sindh reflect dangerous trends. “If we continue to deviate from the Constitution, the situation will spiral out of control,” he said.
SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza strongly criticized the insensitivity of the current rulers.
“May God destroy those rulers who remain silent over the destruction of Gaza. At the time of Pakistan’s founding, we had a clear stance in favor of Palestine, but today, Palestinian flags are being buried in D-Chowk. Have our missiles gone silent? Have our launching pads become useless?” he added.
