‘There’s a shift in army’s perspective’

An interview with PTI’s MNA on reserved seats for women from Punjab, Aliya Hamza Malik

Islamabad: Aliya Hamza Malik is a Pakistani politician who has been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since August 2018.

She was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on a reserved seat for women from Punjab in 2018 general election.

On September 27, 2018, she was appointed as Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Textile by then-Prime Minister Imran Khan.

During the PTI administration, she also served as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Commerce in the National Assembly. She has been actively promoting PTI’s position in various forums for several years.

Bol News interviews the PTI leader on a variety of topics, including Imran Khan’s announcement about vacating the assemblies, the holding of general elections, the appointment of the new army chief, and many others.

Q. What does Imran Khan mean when he talks about quitting assemblies? Is this a reference to the dissolution of assemblies in which the PTI is in power?

Aliya Hamza Malik: Imran Khan’s (IK) decision to resign from the assemblies means that the assemblies will be dissolved. Dissolving the assemblies would eventually pave the way for fresh elections to be held.

With the PTI vacating so many seats, a general election remains the only way out of the crisis.

And, according to the ECP, the cost of holding elections on these seats is far too high. If the assemblies are dissolved, as the party chairman has suggested, I believe a general election would remain the only choice.

Q. When would the assemblies be dissolved?

AHM: The meetings of the parliamentary parties have been scheduled for both provinces, including Punjab and KP.

Following these meetings, Imran Khan would announce the date for the dissolution of these assemblies.

Q. Has the PTI’s objective been achieved after holding a mass gathering in Rawalpindi?

AHK: The public turned out in force for the PTI’s jalsa in Rawalpindi. There were countless people on the several kilometers’ length of Murree Road. On November 26, there was a sea of people on the road in Rawalpindi.

People cried when they saw Imran Khan walking with the help of others because his movements were restricted due to his injuries, which were the result of a gun attack on him.

This unprecedented public gathering sent a clear message that people support Imran Khan and the cause he is championing for the public.

The country’s entire population of 220 million people now stands alongside the PTI.

The current administration wants to avoid the election, and they are trying to be stubborn in this matter.

They (the government) have witnessed that there is only one solution to all problems, and that solution is to hold early elections.

The public is supposed to be at the helm of affairs in this country, and only things that it wants and demands will happen here.

No longer can anybody make decisions that affect the entire nation behind closed doors. People will now decide what they want and what is in their best interests.

We have demonstrated that, after Almighty Allah, the people of Pakistan are our greatest asset.

We must rely on the public through balloting, and the ballot will now decide what changes to enact. What would have happened if this large group of people had decided to march towards Islamabad? There would have been a lot of bloodshed and turmoil, and people would have suffered as a result. However, Khan Sahab proved once more that we are a peaceful people who believe in democracy. The ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) must recognise that it has been imposed on the country. Previously, they used to ask us to dissolve the Punjab and KP assemblies, as well as the national assembly.

However, they have now departed from this point of view. They are now discussing making every effort to avoid dissolving the assembly process. What else could constitute a U-turn?

Q. What are your thoughts on the registration of cases against PTI leaders?

AHM: There are 25 FIRs against IK alone and 17 FIRs against the late Arshad Sharif. Azam Sawati is also the subject of multiple FIRs filed against him for tweeting.

The majority of these FIRs were filed in the province where the PPP is in power (Sindh), despite the fact that it still claims to be the champion of democracy.

Now that this era has passed, I hope that people are given the freedom to choose what they want.

The public would not spare those responsible for turbulence, and they would continue to pay “tribute” to them in their own way.

People will not let them become anonymous, as desired. People are aware of the number of sweets distributed on this occasion. There was a scarcity of sweets in the stores, which had been purchased as part of the celebration. Such incidents had never occurred in Pakistan’s 75-year history.

Q. According to IK, Pakistan is on the verge of default. What are your thoughts?

AHM: The party chairman is correct when he says Pakistan is on the verge of default. Simply compare the revenue during the previous year when we were in power to what it is now. When compared to last year’s revenue, Pakistan is $12 billion short.

Remittances and exports are both declining sharply. Banks are not permitted to open LCs after December 31st. This is significant because, at a time when the international price of crude oil was $129 per barrel, the PTI government was selling it for Rs 149 per litre. International prices in this regard are currently fluctuating around $75 per barrel, and the current regime is providing it to the public at an exorbitant price. This government is unwilling to provide any sort of relief to the public. Now that the price of petroleum products is falling globally, the government is attempting to purchase them from Russia.

The inflation rate, which was 12 per cent during our period, has swelled to 30 per cent. The public is facing the music, and the rulers are attempting to maintain power. They want to remain in power, no matter the cost.

Q. According to their statements, some government ministers have suggested that the government’s term be extended to seven months rather than shortened as the PTI has demanded.

AHM: We are not prepared to give them an extra week, let alone months. They want it to be imposed on the public indefinitely. They are well aware that people will not vote in their favour, so they will make such efforts. However, they have no chance in this matter because the PTI will fight it tooth and nail.

Q. What is your take on matters revolving around the PTI chief with reference to Toshakhana?

AHM: Farah Khan has sent a legal notice amounting to Rs 5 billion to a media house that had aired a bogus news story in this connection.

Farah Sahiba claims that she has never met Umar Farooq. Now they need to respond to it, and they should face it in court. Only yesterday, Khawja Asif asked when we would file the compensation suit, and it has now been filed.

Q. How can the country’s polarisation be ended?

AHM: Only by holding a new election will we be able to put an end to the ongoing bitterness. This is the solution to the problem.

Only one political party should be in power that truly represents the general public. Only the party that deserves this role should be on the Treasury benches, and opposition should be done by the parties that have been assigned this task by the general public.

This scenario can only be realised through new elections, which are the only viable solution to ongoing problems.

We warned the public seven months ago that they (the parties in power in the centre) were prone to causing problems.

We were discussing how the economy would derail and the masses would eventually suffer. The people’s mandate was ignored by changing the regime. Everyone is now witnessing what is happening right now.

Q. It was Imran Khan who had awarded an extension to General (retired) Bajwa. Are there any regrets about it in PTI?

AHM: This isn’t the 1990s, and people understand what an institution’s boundaries should be. An institution should operate within the parameters established by the constitution.

The rule of law must be respected in all aspects of life. An institution should do what it has been defined to do.

In Pakistan, the prime minister serves only for three years, while the army chief serves for six years. Consider the most recent army chief, who served under five different prime ministers during his six-year tenure. I believe we are a democratic country, and a dictatorship should not exist here.

Any army chief should not be given an extension. Their appointments should follow the model of Pakistan’s Supreme Court, in which the senior-most judge becomes chief justice when a chief justice retires.

They claim that the army has only one DNA and that all generals are equally competent.

If they are equally competent, the senior-most general should be appointed as chief of army staff rather than inviting intrigue.

They, like politicians, should not use them for their own purposes or interests.

For the sake of the country, issues like this should be settled and resolved once and for all. Everyone must follow the rules and procedures.

And if there are gaps in this process, they should be filled through legislation.

Q. Will the PTI correct its mistakes if it retakes power?

AHM: We have learned a lot from our mistakes, and we will certainly rectify them if we regain power.

We would like to govern if we had real decision-making power. We would not want to be in power if we did not have the authority to make decisions.

We would not want to be in government if we had to rely on others to make decisions. We don’t want to be reliant on allies who are bonded with us for the time being and would blackmail us for their own gain.