ISLAMABAD: Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has condemned the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, accusing authorities of suppressing the public mandate, abducting elected representatives and undermining democratic institutions.
Speaking during a Senate session, Abbas said an assault on the public mandate began on Oct. 11 and had now culminated in what he described as a final victory for those behind it.
He said only one place remained that was a thorn in the side of those in power, accusing them of using the Constitution as a pretext to impose an emergency in 12 districts and governor’s rule elsewhere.
Abbas alleged that committees comprising handpicked individuals had been formed to run administrative affairs, while members of the national and provincial assemblies were being abducted.
“Pakistan has become a prison for us, a dungeon,” he said.
Addressing fellow lawmakers, Abbas questioned how politicians could tolerate the humiliation of their colleagues and celebrate the misuse of the law.
He accused those in power of depriving people of their votes and said even a government minister had acknowledged that the system had collapsed.
Abbas said the situation could have been avoided if politicians had taken a stand rather than acting at the behest of others.
He described the developments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as an act of oppression and accused authorities of imposing individuals on the public against their will.
He questioned whether operations could succeed without public support, claiming that 98% of the country’s population would reject such measures.
Warning that Pakistan was heading toward destruction, Abbas said neither house of Parliament was functioning as it should.
He also criticised the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments, saying the 27th Amendment had turned the judiciary into a farce.
“If the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments were legitimate, why were people being offered money?” he asked.
Abbas also expressed concern over the country’s borders, saying three sides were already closed and weather conditions would soon close the fourth.
