Pakistan pushed into debt trap: Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri

PAT Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that those claiming to make Pakistan an Asian tiger has plunged every child of the country into debt trap from head to toe. He asked how a country that pays interest on the loans to the tune of Rs. 1300 billion can stand on its own feet. He said that a fierce competition goes on between Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif on getting maximum loans and paying interest on it. He said that Punjab will pay a total of Rs. 124 billion as loan and interest for the first time in the history, which is more than the amount allocated for agriculture, health and education.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri expressed these views while talking to a PAT delegation that called on him under the leadership of Basharat Jaspal, President of PAT Central Punjab. He said that speeches are being delivered on the budget in the provincial assembly which will be followed by debates on cut motions. He said that it is national and constitutional duty of the members of the Punjab Assembly to ask the rulers as to why the province has become indebted to the tune of Rs. 6 trillion compared to having surplus resources in 2008. He said that when Punjab progresses, the whole country progresses and when Punjab goes down, its impact is felt across the country.

The PAT Chairman said that the Sharif government has written a foreword to the book of economic disaster by leaving the poor and farmers’ communities helpless and at the mercy of circumstances. He said that the present rulers may not be able to get an opportunity to present the next budget, adding that it is the responsibility of legislators to ask some real hard questions from the rulers and place the facts before the people.

Dr Qadri said that the rulers need to be asked as to why the masses have not got access to clean drinking water; the poor did not have cheap bread and the children of a farmer continue to be deprived of education despite the fact that they have remained in power for last 30 years. Why is justice sold instead of being served? Why have police stations been converted into stock markets? Why are millions of children out of schools? Why is Police the predator and enemy of people despite the fact that it gets over Rs. 100 in the name of protection and security of people? Why has justice not been served in the Model Town case despite passage of last two years? Who are the patrons of Chotu gang and why is the province being run by companies instead of the elected representatives? He asked the MPAs to ask why the poor are not getting the bread for Rs. 2 and how a family can make its bond ends meet with Rs. 14,000? He asked the Punjab Chief Minister and his cabinet to make their budget with Rs. 14,000.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the rulers have established kingship in the name of democracy. He said that the local bodies elections were not allowed to be held for eight years under various excuses and when they were finally held on the direction and orders of the Supreme Court, the resources and powers have not been transferred to them. He said that these are government administrators who are presenting budget of local government institutions despite election of the local representatives, which is a slap on the face of democracy.