The party of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf PTI, on Sunday accused the government of attempting to divert people’s attention from its failures. The remarks came from PTI officials after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif commented on ongoing protests.
A PTI spokesperson lambasted the government: “The mandate thieves only know how to issue statements. Meanwhile, they keep stirring differences between the provinces and oppressing the citizens.” He said people are aware that the PML-N-led government came into power due to “vote manipulation”.
The PTI further corroborated that it was actually the citizens who came out onto the streets for the protection of democracy, the judiciary, and their rights. He said the people of Pakistan are committed to saving the future of the country. And standing against what PTI terms “injustices.”
This response comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a cabinet meeting. Accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of leading a protest with Afghan nationals. He said that Gandapur, with the help of government officials, was organizing the protest. Sharif expressed his concern about the unrest. The unrest would hurt Pakistan’s efforts to stabilize its economy. In fact, the government was making an active effort in the direction of economic recovery. While the action of Gandapur was challenging it.
He also referred to the violence during the protest demonstration in which one member of the Islamabad police was killed because of aerial firing by the protestors. He said that a peaceful environment was a must to convince foreign investment and strengthen the economy. Further said, “The PTI protest represents the replay of the 2014 sit-in as the same party is again disrupting the activities in the country and hurting its image at the international level.”
He vowed never to let such events recur. “We will not allow a repeat of the 2014-15 sit-in that lasted for months and affected the country’s economy and reputation,” he said. Adding, “We will not tolerate this at any cost. This is my promise.“
On October 5, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi of Pakistan also spoke about the protests. He mentioned that his government would not let PTI derail the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit scheduled for next week. He added that any efforts the sabotage the summit will attract strict measures.
The upcoming SCO summit to be held in Islamabad on October 15-16 assumes great importance for Pakistan. “The SCO Summit in Islamabad is the foremost priority of this government. This would go a long way in cementing relations among the participating countries and Pakistan,” underlined Naqvi. He, meanwhile, urged the general public to have faith in the law enforcement agencies-the police, Rangers. And military maintaining security arrangements during the summit.
Naqvi made his statement in response to growing concerns about PTI’s intentions. He accused the PTI of trying to sabotage the summit. Pointing out that the law enforcers were already on high alert. The presence of international delegations at the summit underlines its importance for Pakistan, Naqvi said in further comments.
In short, the government and PTI are battling with full force, accusing each other of attempting to destabilize the national economy. And hamper the processes of scheduled big-time international summits such as the SCO summit.
ANI
