Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri has said that the practice of running national economy with the oxygen of foreign loans has endangered the national security and economic self-reliance does not appear to be in sight given the highly questionable conduct of the ruling elite. He said that the powers that be are obsessed with corruption, concentration of power and are least bothered about people’s welfare and interest.

Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the country suffers from the worst leadership crisis and the present electoral system does not offer any respite. “Even if elections continue to be held for another 100 years under the present system, the problems of 97% of masses would remain alive and kicking with the dynastic politics staying intact,” he held. He stated that it is incumbent upon the workers to leave no stone unturned to send this system packing and launch the campaign of increasing public awareness about it.

Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri expressed these views in a telephonic speech to a meeting of Majlis-e-Shuraa through video conferencing from Canada. Faiz-ur-Rehman Durrani, Dr Raheeq Abbasi, Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz, Raja Jamil Ajmal, G.M. Malik, Jawad Hamid, Anwar Akhtar Advocate, Ahmad Nawaz Anjum, Sajid Mahmood Bhatti and other central leaders of PAT and MQI were also present on the occasion. Hundreds of leaders and office-bearers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek and Minhaj-ul-Quran International from across Pakistan attended the meeting of Majlis-e-Shuraa.

Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that national security stands threatened today and the military installations and establishments are being targeted with abandon. Terrorism, he said, has become standard norm in the country. The rulers are content that some of the cosmetic steps would take care of the scourge of terrorism and extremism. Dr Qadri underlined the need of serious and solid decisions after identifying the major causes that spawn these monsters.

Criticizing the government’s economic policy severely, Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said that dependence on foreign aid has seriously jeopardized our national security. He said that those nations that do not achieve economic independence cannot attain freedom in the real terms. He asked the people to come forward and play their due role to get rid of the present system so that the country could regain its lost glory. Dr Qadri warned “unless people do not play their role at individual and collective levels, they would continue to be enslaved to the corrupt and non-representative leaderships.”

Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi, Secretary General of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, said that in view of the present condition the country is mired in, a heavy responsibility rests on the shoulders of workers of PAT and MQI. He asked them to expose the unreality of the present system before the people of Pakistan so that such a true and representative leadership could emerge that could rid the country of the corrupt ruling mafia for ever.

Dr Abbasi said that the workers of PAT and MQI are ambassadors of peace in a world beset by terrorism and extremism and they should continue to wage their intellectual and practical struggle till the complete elimination of terrorism and extremism. He asked the workers to equip themselves with unity of purpose, knowledge and deep sense of conviction, for these are the weapons with which any kind of fight can be won.

Majlis-e-Shuraa, which met with Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri in the chair earlier today, approved of the action plan and targets for next year. The Shuraa vowed to convey MQI’s message to 20 million people through public awareness campaign in the year ahead. A resolution adopted on the occasion said:

• The meeting condemned attack on the military installations in the strongest possible words and demanded the government to hold investigation into the lapses.
   
• The Shuraa demanded of the government to reformulate the country’s foreign policy and establish relations with other countries on equality and parity.
   
• It asked the government to take concrete and solid steps for elimination of terrorism and extremism.
   
• The meeting concluded that the government has failed to provide any relief to inflation-stricken people. It asked the government to ease their economic burden through provision of subsidies and put a cap on the prices at least for three years.
   
• It pleaded to the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take action against the decisions inimical to the national sovereignty.
   
• Criticizing the load-shedding, it asked the government to give a deadline for its complete end from the country.