'Feeding dogs high-quality meat': Maryam slams PM's idea of welfare state

• Maryam says there is no comparison between Pakistan under present government and Riyasat e Madinah.
• Says those who travel from one place to another in helicopters have no idea what poor masses are going through because of inflation. 
• "How can someone be so blind, deaf, and dumb [to the condition of the poor masses]?" asked Maryam.

LAHORE: PML-N Vice-President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday reacted to Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi's speeches on the occasion of 12 Rabi ul Awal — in which they talked about an ideal Islamic welfare state — and said that there is no comparison between Pakistan under the present government and Riyasat e Madinah.

Referring to the premier, Maryam said that those who travel from one place to another in helicopters have no idea what the poor masses are going through because of inflation. 

Yet, the government has the audacity to talk about Riyasat e Madinah, she said. 

"Those whose dogs are fed high-quality meat should think before likening their governance to that of Riyasat e Madinah," Maryam said while taking a dig at PM Imran Khan.

She went on to say that due to the ongoing inflation in the country, "the poor and the destitute are dying of hunger, parents are poisoning their children because they are unable to feed them, and people are committing suicide."

"The government should think about the condition of the poor before talking about Riyasat e Madinah," she said, adding that those in power should be able to genuinely feel for the poor instead of issuing prejudiced statements against Opposition parties.

Criticising PM Imran Khan once again, she questioned: "How can someone be so blind, deaf, and dumb [to the condition of the poor masses]?"

It should be recalled that earlier in the day, the president and prime minister, in their separate messages on the occasion of Eid Miladun Nabi, had said Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) laid the foundation of Riyasat-e-Madinah, which rose before the world as an example in terms of humanity, justice, and the rule of law.

President Dr Arif Alvi, in his message, had said that the Prophet (PBUH) established such a welfare state where the rich and poor enjoyed equal rights.

While lauding the efforts of the present government in turning Pakistan into a model welfare state on the patterns of Riasat-e-Madina, he had said he hoped that all resources of the state will be utilised for this purpose.

PM Imran Khan, on the other hand, had said that the arrival of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in the world brought a revolution in society.

The prime minister had said that in Riyasat e Madinah, minorities were protected, the poor and needy were taken care of, and the rights and obligations of the state and citizens were determined — a model that his government aspires to follow.