Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Wednesday said that the recent incidents of terrorism in the country showed that the government's claims of having established peace were wrong.
Addressing a PDM rally in Bannu district here, Rehman accused the government of having "ruined" peace and the country's economy, and claimed that there was no system in the tribal areas, reported Dawn.
Hosted by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), the rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu district was attended by leaders of PDM constituent parties, but neither Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz nor Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari were present.
"I say if the armed forces have given sacrifices against terrorism, then we have too and so has the nation. And if terrorism is [still] present then your claims were wrong," said Rehman to a responsive crowd.
Rehman alleged that the army was "spread everywhere in Balochistan", saying this was cited as a security requirement, reported Dawn.
"I want to say in clear words that until the army remains in Pakistan's civilian areas, peace cannot be established," he added.
While condemning the murder of Hazara coal miners in Balochistan, he remarked that terrorists were roaming free to murder anyone.
JUI-F central general secretary Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri accused the government of having donned the "chadar of dictatorship", and further accused the government was defaming people through the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)in the name of accountability.
"This government is selected, fake and incompetent," he said.
Earlier, PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal while addressing the rally hit out at the government over what he termed a "failed" economy and alleged unrest in the country, according to Dawn.
"By bringing this inept and selected [prime minister], the economy that was growing by 5.75 per cent was thrown down to -0.4pc," he said.
Iqbal mentioned that there was unrest across the country and members of the Hazara community were sitting on the road in Quetta protesting the murder of coal miners along with their coffins.
"But Imran Khan is stubbornly sitting in Islamabad; he couldn't be bothered to soothe their wounds because he was not elected but selected, and is now rejected," he further said.
On the other hand, PML-N had not only ended terrorism but also reinvigorated businesses, eliminated load-shedding and "turned darkness to light", claimed Iqbal.
The PML-N leader said a "joke" had been made out of the Pakist state in the last 73 years.
"The Quaid-i-Azam had said this state would succeed if its system is run by its people, but this state's system has been snatched from the people," he added.
The rally comes after 11 coal miners were killed, while four others were seriously injured after unidentified men opened fire on them at the Machh coal field in Balochistan.
According to Geo News, police said that the armed men took the coal miners to nearby mountains and opened fire. The incident was heavily criticised by the opposition.
Meanwhile, PM Imran Khan faces a serious challenge as the PDM set a January 31 deadline for him to step down or face a "Long March" to Islamabad.
The PDM has held massive rallies in major cities to seek Khan's ouster and press the powerful military to stop interfering in politics.
( With inputs from ANI )
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