Govts ouster only way out, says Nawaz

DERA GHAZI KHAN Terming the current federal government 'most corrupt in the history of Pakistan, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif Wednesday said he was in politics only to change the fate of the people. Addressing a huge public gathering in Dera Ghazi Khan, Nawaz also said he was in favour of formation of new provinces of Bahawalpur and Southern Punjab and will be the first one to vote for it. The PML-N leader said that he would leave politics if the people wanted so, asserting that he was only in the politics to change the fate of Pakistan and its people and has decided to brave every difficulty coming his way. Nawaz maintained that officials at the highest echelons are involved in corruption and the government Pakistan has failed to defend the sovereignty of the state and its people. He added that the response after the May 2 raid in Abbottabad was a victory on the United States part. He regretted that President Asif Ali Zardari wrote an appreciation article over Abbottabad operation and prime minister declared it a great victory. The PML-N chief said he is often alleged of supporting Asif Ali Zardari but in fact his has been tolerating the corrupt government and giving it time because he did not want to harm democracy. He asserted that certain ministers were enjoying their portfolios despite proven allegations of corruption against them, adding that he never did witness such worst corruption in his life. He further said that foreign debit has crossed the record figure of 60 billion dollars while new currency notes amounting to three billion rupees were being printed on daily basis. Nawaz said that the power crisis has made the lives of the people miserable while it has rendered hundreds of thousands jobless due to shutting down of factories and mills. It is the responsibility of the state to provide the citizens all basic facilities of life. He said that during his government in 1990 he had decided to build motorway from Torkham to Gawadar, with its extension to Central Asia, but the then president dissolved his government that brought the countrys development to a halt. He said his political era was corruption-free and there was no concept of loadshedding and that of suicide blasts, and he attempted his level best to make the country a true welfare state. Talking about the Sindh province, the PML-N leader claimed that there was no government in Sindh province and Punjab chief minister donated relief goods of over Rs55 billion to the flood victims there. Agencies add: Nawaz told to a private TV channel on Wednesday that terrorism in Pakistan started when the MQM entered into politics. He said the MQM was the basis of terrorism in Karachi and they would have to make it clear if they would adopt clean politics or carry on with their terrorism through their armed wings. The PML-N leader also criticised the government for not fulfilling its promises, adding that if the situation remained the same he would not attend any future All-Party Conference. He said that he is deeply saddened when he sees corruption flourishing in Pakistan, adding the fate of country would change when we get rid of this government. Nawaz said through media sources we found out that the president had contacted US over the fears that his government would be toppled by the army but we do not know the true facts behind these reports. Earlier, after his visit to different flood-hit areas in Sindh, Nawaz again lashed out at the government during a press conference in Sakrand, saying that the incompetent and inexperienced rulers were defaming the democracy in the country. He said that people of the country were suffering due to wrong decisions of the government, but he did not believe in any shortcut. I would have been part of the government even now if the government worked for the welfare of the people, he said. Nawaz said he never asked the Prime Minister Gilani that he wanted to become premier for third time. He said government policies destroyed national institutes like Railways and PIA. He said the pathetic performance of Railways and national airline was increasing miseries of the common man. Taking government coalition partners in his shooting range, the PML-N chief questioned that how the PPP could act against corruption when the PML-Q and MQM are its coalition partners. He said that the thinking of government was not democratic and that the PPP leadership was trampling every principle of democracy. The PML-N leader said the criminals were roaming freely in Sindh, adding that the PPP government was responsible for the whole mess. He said the government was bent upon destroying all the institutions of the country. Nawaz said the government should honour and respect the decisions of the Supreme Court. He said that the PPP government did not hold productive consultation on the appointment of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman. He said that despite rejection of the proposal regarding the NAB chairmans appointment by Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, President Asif Ali Zardari appointed the controversial person which was a violation of the Supreme Court order. Nothing was done to drain out flood water from low-lying areas of Sindh, he lamented, and said that the provinces should stand together with Sindh in this hour of need. The people of Punjab participated in relief work for flood affectees, he said. Nawaz announced to set up five filtration plants, five field hospitals and sending 807 truck loads of relief goods from Punjab for flood affected people of Sindh.