ISLAMABAD - All Pakistan Muslim League chief Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf has reiterated to bring all factions of the Muslim League on one platform and rid the country of forces of status quo and help end the political and economic chaos.
Addressing a public rally at G-9 Islamabad through a video-link, Musharraf also hinted at returning back to lead his political party. The rally was largely attended by party leaders and activists from the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad and party representatives from across the county.
Prior to the public meeting, the APML central executive committee (CEC) nominated Dr Muhammad Amjad as new party president and Mehreen Malik Adam as secretary general. The APML general body endorsed the changes.
Addressing the gathering, Gen (retd) Musharraf said that the APML was rooted in entire Pakistan. “Every citizen of Pakistan without any discrimination of gender, ethnicity or language differences can become part of the party and we have already done so. During my tenure in the government, I encouraged the participation of marginalized groups into the mainstream. We provided women with representation in the national and provincial assemblies as well as local governments,” he said.
He lauded the efforts of the women who made the public meeting a success by bringing out such a large number of workers.
He also lauded the role of the youth in building Pakistan. “The youth is our special focus and during my tenure, I introduced a youth policy in Pakistan. We also need to focus on the labour and peasant class of the country that contribute to our prosperity. The labour and peasant class comprise 60 percent of our population and living in rural areas. As the president of Pakistan, I worked for the prosperity of the labour and the peasant class. They were receiving the full cost of their yield and they prospered,” Gen (retd) Musharraf said.
He said that the APML neither has any looter and plunderer in the party nor need such ignominious politicians in the party cadres.
He said that the APML will fully participate in the 2018 general election. Gen (retd) Musharraf said that “he will spearhead the election campaign by himself after returning to the country. “Forming an alliance, we have to get rid of those looters and plunderers who have worsened the economic conditions of the country in the past 10 years. These people purchase votes offering money to the people and after coming to the power, they don't give anything to the country except poverty, hunger, anarchy and chaos,” he said.
The former president said that he was very much disturbed over the deteriorating conditions of Pakistan, “whenever he assesses where he had left the country and where it is right now”.
“During my tenure, Pakistan's economy was moving upward, foreign investment was coming to the country, factories were being installed and people were getting jobs. Agriculture growth was on the rise. New roads and dams were under construction and the labour class was getting jobs and labourers were happy as they were getting prosperous. We had maintained the US dollar rate to a compatible price. Pakistan's defence was strong. The Pakistan Army, navy and air force were getting stronger and no one dared to see look at the country with bad intentions,” Gen (retd) Musharraf said.
He said that Pakistan had a prominent place in the region and in the Muslim Ummah. “The whole world respected us. The past 10 years of PPP and PML-N governments proved devastating for the country. Pakistan has seen a decline in all aspects of growth. Inflation is sky-high and the two successive governments have put the country under huge foreign debts, he said.
APML President Dr Muhammad Amjad said that the public meeting will convey a strong message to their political opponents cannot face Gen (retd) Musharraf. “Some of our political opponents have already gone disqualified and some others will also get disqualified in the future. The PML-N foreseeing its defeat has put Maryam Nawaz at the forefront,” he said.
APML Secretary General Mehreen Malik Adam said that the huge gathering was a message for those who say that the politics of Gen Musharraf has ended.