Dr Tahirul Qadri, patron of the Tehreek Minhajul Quran (TMQ), vowed on Wednesday that the government’s days are numbered and that they would not allow general elections without true implementation relevant articles of the constitution and Supreme Court’s ruling on electoral reforms.
Addressing the long march participants here in Islamabad on the third day on D-Square, he wants full implementation of Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution in the country. In addition, he said also wants implementation of the article 218 of the constitution pertaining to holding of elections honestly, justly, fairly and without any corruption.
“We want complete implementation of these articles before the general elections,” he added.
Quoting sections 77 through 82 of the Representative of People’s Act, 1976, he said these provisions highlight corrupt practices, adding these practices should be totally curbed.
“There is no more space for these corrupt practices in our electoral process,” he said.
Dr Qadri said that he also wants full implementation of the Supreme Court ruling of June 8, 2012 on electoral reforms.
“We want 100 percent implementation of this ruling,” he said, adding elections should be held after these reforms within 90 days.
Outlining his second demand, he said Election Commission of Pakistan should be dissolved and re-constituted on non-political basis.
TMQ’s third demand was that there should be a neutral caretaker government, adding that caretaker government should not be formed as a result of ‘collusion’ between the federal government and the opposition.
However, he reiterated that he is not a candidate for a caretaker prime minister.
Qadri also outlined a mechanism for the implementation of his demands. In this regard, he said first viable option for the implementation of reforms is that national and provincial assemblies should be dissolved immediately.
He said candidates for national and provincial assemblies should be screened thoroughly before the elections.
The government’s days are numbered and predicted that the corrupt government will succumbed to the pressure of the masses in a day or two.
“Their (the government’s) days are over,” he said.
He again extended invitation to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to join his sit-in in Islamabad for the change of corrupt political system.
He said that seven point demands put forth by Khan are no different from TMQ’s demands.
He, therefore, said Imran Khan should strengthen his long march by joining it as Khan is sincere and he is not one of the corrupt people.
After reading newspaper statements, TMQ chief said it is pity for this nation, which is being governed by corrupt rulers, citing Law Minister Farooq Naek's claims that Prime Minister Ashraf was not named in the Supreme Court ruling.
He said he had SC’s ruling with him in which the court named PM Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Dr. Qadri said the corrupt leaders are trying to cast doubts on the Supreme Court’s integrity by linking it with the long march, adding "You are questioning the intentions of the Supreme Court. It is you who have ill-intentions.”
He said said he had no prior knowledge regarding the schedule of court hearing rental power projects (RPPs), adding, "I didn't even know the case was being heard yesterday."
The determined Dr. Qadri said the change will come because of this sit-in, if the participants’ resolve does not waiver.
“We don’t want lawbreakers to become lawmakers,” he demanded.
“People keep asking where Dr. Tahirul Qadri has been. Where he has suddenly come from?” He said he didn't come last year as he did not want the government to say he was trying to destabilize it before the completion of its 5-year term.
“Now that your term is near completion, I have come. It is time for elections and it is time for you to leave,” Dr. Qadri added.
Tahirul Qadri, while reading out the text of the laws, said the law and Constitution of Pakistan justify his charter of demands.
He said people who do not file their taxes should be fined and jailed; how can these corrupt rulers be allowed to be elected to Parliament, adding a member of the Parliament is required to file his tax returns and make public his sources of income.
“We do not want tax evaders to sit in Parliament,” he added.
Lauding the higher judiciary, he said Pakistan's judiciary is independent and powerful, adding if it was up to the current government, it would have been removed.
Citing Bob Hawke, the three-time Prime Minister of Australia, he said Australian leading politician told him that he went to Pakistan with massive investment plan during the tenure of present government; but after the project details were finalized, one of the high-ups approached him secretly and demanded thirty percent share in the projects.
He said New Zealand’s father-figure told him several years ago that one of the Pakistani prime ministers has half the share in one the biggest business has half shares.
“No representation without taxation; no representation with constitutional qualification, is his slogan,” he said.
As much as 40 percent votes are cast in this system; remaining 60 to 65 percent voters do not use their votes as they do not rely on this electoral system, he said adding the most of population lives in villages governed by ‘waderas’ and landlords, who exercise their influence on them.
“Ever since long march commenced, no crime, theft, robbery took place in Pakistan,” he asserted.
“My slogan is ‘corrupt status-quo must go’, ‘No more status quo’, ‘The protectors of status quo must go,’” he said.