Pakistan’s opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticized the government, saying that while neighbouring India is experiencing rapid progress, Pakistan is grappling with economic turmoil and alleged democratic decline.

“India is dreaming of becoming a superpower, while we are begging to avoid bankruptcy,” the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief said during his inaugural parliamentary address on Sunday at the National Assembly.

Rehman, whose party emerged as the leading opposition bloc after the 2024 elections, said that “powers behind the walls” have diminished elected officials to mere “puppets.” He questioned the legitimacy of the current parliament, accusing its members of abandoning principles and “selling democracy.”

“Governments are formed in palaces, and bureaucrats decide who will be the prime minister,” Rehman said.

He condemned the alleged rigging in both the 2018 and 2024 polls, saying that “counterfeit” representatives ascended to power. Rehman lamented lawmakers’ inability to legislate effectively due to external pressures and a lack of accountability.

“How can our conscience be clear while sitting in this assembly, when both the losers and winners are not satisfied?” he questioned, accusing the current assembly of being “sold off” to individuals who have betrayed Pakistan’s founding ideals.

Rehman decried the lack of progress and “stagnation” in Pakistan’s economy, emphasizing the burden of mounting national debt.

He also advocated for the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s right to hold public gatherings.

Announcing plans for “a million marches” in Karachi on May 2 and Peshawar on May 9, Rehman warned authorities against any attempts to obstruct the demonstrations. “The flood of people cannot be stopped, and those who try will face the consequences,” he said.

(Inputs from ANI)