Saturday, September 13, 2014

Pakistan: Flood devastation: PM statements show his ignorance, says Gilani

Key opposition leader Yousaf Raza Gilani took a potshot at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for sounding like “an ignorant foreigner” in his statements about the latest flood tragedy to hit the country.
Talking to media in Multan after visiting flood-ravaged areas, Gilani said: “It is not right to embarrass the nation before the whole world through your statements when all the country is in distress due to your ill planned policies.”
He said the protests in Islamabad were also the outcome of similar statements. The former PM said 14 Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers were shot dead in Lahore and no FIR was lodged. “While there are 12 FIRs against me and I am involved in no such act,” he added.
He said the problem with the government was that it was defining a new outline of democracy which was prevailing only in Pakistan. “Democracy is not synonymous with the rule of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. It means the rule of the people and there must be distinction between these two concepts,” he said.
He said demanding the resignation from a serving prime minister was not illegal and unconstitutional when everybody was aware of the PM’s efficiency.
He said the need of the hour was to make all those institutions accountable that are responsible to control the floods and disastrous situations in the country. “The investigations against these organisations and their chiefs should be made public,” he added.
He said the government never considered the inquiry report of 2010 floods – prepared by the judicial commission – and this was the major reason behind the current devastation.
“Planning for floods and rains was never on the priority list of the federal and Punjab governments.
They just want to construct Metro buses all over the country. If we remain silent, they will start a project of Metro bus from Afghanistan to India or in any other country,” he said.

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