Dr Rageeq Ahmad Abbasi, Secretary General of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, has said that Pakistan faces the worst leadership crisis. Those who are holding the reign of power,are not the real leaders and do not represent the masses, while real leadership has been denied opportunity to serve masses through a pro-elitist state structure, he added. He further said that the people of Pakistan need to wage an unwavering struggle to get their rights back from a handful of ruling minority. The unending spate of clash among the institutions has given Pakistan a bad name in the comity of nation, while such scourges as terrorism, skyrocketing inflation, target killings, energy crisis, and unemployment have rendered Pakistan hollow from inside.

Dr Abbasi expressed these views while talking to a delegation of Pakistan Awami Tehreek from Southern Punjab which called on him in his office in Lahore today. Regretting the unavailability of necessities of life to a vast majority of the country’s populace who are condemned to real problems of life, he said that the government has failed to deliver on its agenda despite the passage of three years in power. He said that the extremism and terrorism find conducive environment to thrive when the government of the day fails to give any relief to its people. Hence the reasons of the mushrooming menace of terrorism and extremism are also economic and political in nature.

Dr Raheeq Abbasi asked the ruling elite to understand the gravity of the problems confronting the nation and demonstrated seriousness of purpose. This, he said, is possible if the political forces in the country create consensus on the minimum rules of the game and declare to work for the larger national interests. He said that the recent suicide hits in Lahore and Karachi indicated the potential threats posed to national security. The situation, he added, has become graver in the wake of lawlessness and violence provincial metropolis of Sind, Karachi, has been exposed to in recent months. He urged the provincial and federal governments to undertake legislation on ending target killing in Karachi.