• Tehreek-e-Istehkam Pakistan
announces itself on political scene
"We have been presented as swindlers in the international media due to the
negligence of our leaders. Our aristocratic culture has ruined our economy but
the government is unconcerned. We are guilty as a nation for not understanding
the significance of our votes and protest against corrupt leaders after electing
them ourselves,” said Tehreek-e-Istehkam-e-Pakistan (Movement to Sustain
Pakistan) Chairperson Syed Ali Raza addressing the Istehkam-e-Pakistan
conference at Al-Hamra Hall on Saturday night.
Movement to rid: Raza said after 70 year another resolution was being presented
to begin a “Tehreek-e-Nijaat” against the current corrupt leadership. He said
Pakistan’s politics was revolving in few families with leaders only interested
in Pakistan to suck its blood. “The same leaders send their children abroad for
education since they don’t like the Pakistani education system, their families
prefer to use foreign health facilities, they wear imported suits so what
interest do they have to boost Pakistan’s industries, he said.
Over bureacratisation: He identified the bureaucratic system of commissioners
and DCOs the main cause of the prevailing corruption with the red tape in
government institutions offending the public. He said that the police station
culture should be accountable and if a civil judge were to sit in every police
station a number of ordinary cases can be solved on the spot compared to the
current lower judiciary system which exhausts the common man and prolongs
ordinary cases.
Class divisions: He said that despite the two-nation theory’s preaching, the
country was still divided amongst the bourgeoisie and proletariat classes. “We
earn money scarcely but our leaders adopt luxurious lifestyles in which they
cannot even take a jog without VIP protocol,” he said. He further said the
current leaders had no empathy for people’s difficulties whose lives had become
miserable due to shortages in electricity, gas, petrol and food items and
soaring inflation.
Dialogue with Taliban: Raza said that the Kashmir issue was important but the
government was not ready to take it seriously. “We only send resolutions to UNO
but never delegations to solve the issue,” he said. He said sacrifice would be
necessary to solve the Kashmir issue. He said that foreign policy should be
based on equality. He said the war against terrorism was an important issue and
that Pakistan should consider negotiations with the Taliban following suit with
America.
During the address, Raza provided Tehreek-e-Istehkam-e-Pakistan’s manifesto.
Adding that they shall increase health, education budget, and reorganized all
governmental institutions and bring Pakistan’s debts down. He further refused
top governmental designation and promised to operate, as a worker ready to
sacrifice all for Pakistan.
Addressing the conference chief justice (ret.) Allah Nawaz said an austerity
policy in all fields of life and work for the country. He said taxes should be
paid honestly. Later on, executive member of Lahore Chamber of Conference Dr.
Shahid Raza, Columnist Nadeem Bhatti also addressed the conference. Renowned
intellectuals, poets, industrialists, religious scholars, actors, columnists and
students were present in the conference.