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PTI yet again announces countrywide protest from tomorrow

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  • Imran Khan to join protesters after three weeks.
  • PTI rejects notion of technocrat government.
  • Party reiterates en masses resignation from NA.

The Pakistan Tehrkeek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced Thursday it would start a country-wide protest movement starting tomorrow (Friday) as the party seeks to force the coalition government into early elections.

The PTI has been repeatedly calling for snap elections since ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s ouster in April as it refuses to go back to the National Assembly and keeps on stressing that “early polls” are the only solution to the country’s ongoing crisis.

But the government has ruled out staging early polls and has told the PTI that given the current situation — floods, census, and new delimitation — the elections cannot be held before October.

“From tomorrow, country-wide protests will start against rising inflation, deteriorating economy, and shortage of gas,” PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry told journalists in Lahore after the party’s high-level meeting with Khan in the chair.

In the first phase, Fawad said PTI’s members of national and provincial assemblies would lead the protests for three weeks in their constituencies across the country.

“After three weeks, Imran Khan will join the campaign and this process will continue till this government is ousted,” the PTI leader said, asking the nation to join hands with the party.

The announcement to return to the streets comes after PTI’s chief in November called off the long march in Rawalpindi and announced plans for the dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies, but it is yet to materialize.

The dissolution of the KP Assembly has been linked to Punjab, whose disbandment plans hit a snag last week when the Lahore High Court reinstated Parvez Elahi as Punjab’s chief minister and ordered him to not dissolve the legislative.

Vote of confidence

ٖFawad said PTI and its ally, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), have a majority — 190 lawmakers — in the Punjab Assembly, and they are currently mulling over the vote of confidence.

“We will try that CM Elahi takes a vote of confidence before January 11. 177 Punjab Assembly lawmakers are in contact with us,” the former information minister said.

He also blamed Punjab Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman for becoming part of “a conspiracy” in de-notifying Elahi as the chief minister. “The governor and the chief secretary will have to come to the assembly and answer for their actions.”

The governor had de-notified Elahi as the chief minister, and subsequently, the chief secretary had issued a notification for the dissolution of the cabinet — but the LHC suspended the notifications.

Fawad said it was the PTI’s prerogative to either continue the Punjab government or dissolve it as he slammed the opposition for allegedly horse-trading.

“Whenever a market [for buying lawmakers] is staged, Zardari comes to Punjab with bags full of money,” the PTI leader said, slamming the PPP co-chairman.

‘No space’ for technocrat set-up

In his response to reports about the plans to bring forth a technocrat government, the PTI leader said there was “no space” for such a set-up in the country anymore.

“PTI’s senior leadership has rejected the plans regarding the imposition of a technocrat government,” Fawad said, asking those “dreaming” of the set-up that their dreams would not come true.

He said that the only solution to the country’s ongoing problems is snap and transparent election, and some elements did not want polls to take place, rather they are aspiring to appoint technocrats for running the affairs.

“The Pakistani nation will not, in any shape or form, accept a technocrat government. Nawaz Sharif wants the imposition of martial, however, it is due to Khan’s patience that no such plans were executed.”

He also warned that no matter who is appointed in the technocrat government, they would not be able to overcome the crisis as he told the establishment that the idea would be a “complete flop”.

In conversation with Geo News’ Shahzeb Khanzada, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had also ruled out the possibility of a technocrat set-up’s imposition.

PTI chief Khan, who was removed from premiership through a vote of no-confidence in April this year, told journalists in Lahore that the proposal regarding a government of technocrats is under consideration and he does not foresee polls taking place anytime soon.

But claiming that Khan was misquoted, Fawad said: “Imran never stated that he does not see elections not taking place. He said that the government does not want to hold elections.”

Resignations en masse

The PTI leader also rejected National Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Ashraf’s demand that the party’s lawmakers submit their resignations in person and reiterated that they would resign en masse.

PTI lawmakers — including Asad Qaiser, Qasim Suri, Amir Dogar, Dr Shabbir Hussain, and others — met Ashraf in his chambers earlier today, where the speaker told them once more that for verification of the resignations, the party’s lawmakers will be called individually.

“None of our members want to rejoin the National Assembly. 123 MNAs had announced their resignations in the house. It is a ‘joke’ that every MNA will have to individually come and verify their resignation. We will not submit the resignations individually.”

The former information minister asked the speaker when he accepted 11 resignations of the PTI MNAs, why didn’t he call them for verification. “They thought that they could win the by-elections, but they faced a humiliating defeat.”

“You have our resignations, but still, you’re adamant that you won’t accept them. If this goes on, we will have no other option but to knock on the Supreme Court’s doors,” he added.

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Imran Khan’s aide kickstarts PTI funding campaign in Europe

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LONDON: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Zulfi Bukhari has kickstarted a mass mobilisation and fundraising campaign for the party in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Addressing a workers’ convention in High Wycombe in London along with Sahibzada Jahangir, one of the founders of PTI, Zulfi said that the mass mobilisation and fundraising has been started for the elections scheduled for February next year.

“We will take part in elections at any cost. We need funds and effort from the overseas regions. The party needs funds for its legal challenges as well for the election campaign,” he said.

Zulfi said the entire leadership is prepared for the elections and will not be deterred by the arrest threats.

The former cabinet member said he will be going to Pakistan himself as soon as the party leadership directs him, adding that he was prepared to go to jail.

However, it is unlikely that Zulfi will be travelling to Pakistan anytime soon as the caretaker govt has requested Interpol for his arrest. He was in Dubai when the Interpol request was made, he left UAE and since then has not travelled outside London.

Zulfi said he will be personally visiting cities in the United Kingdom and Europe to raise funds.

The PTI leader revealed that the campaign in the UK is scheduled to start shortly and arrangements are in place. He said the PTI Core Committee was meeting daily to discuss affairs of the party to formulate strategies on a daily basis.

Zulfi Bukhari has so far stayed away from PTI UK events but his decision to take part in mobilisation suggests he has been asked by the leadership in Pakistan to engage with the local chapter.

Two weeks ago, he told an audience at the University of London that making Usman Buzdar Punjab’s chief minister was a mistake but Imran Khan did the right thing by not sacking him.

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Bannu Cantonment Board CEO Bilal Pasha ‘commits suicide’

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  • Police say Bilal Pasha was suffering from mental stress.
  • Police say they found his body at his residence. 
  • Inquiry launched into incident to find cause of death. 

BANNU: Bannu Cantonment Board chief executive officer Bilal Pasha has allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself, the police said on Tuesday. 

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Cantt Azmat Khan, Pasha was suffering from mental stress for several days which led to his suicide. 

The police said that they found Pasha’s body covered in blood inside his residence where he shot himself. They added that his body had been moved to the District Headquarters Hospital, Bannu.

According to a media report, the police have launched an inquiry into the incident to find whether Pasha committed suicide or was murdered. They also said that he had a bullet wound in his head. 

Following the funeral prayers, which were held at the premises of the cantonment board, the body was sent to Pasha’s hometown Khanewal for burial. 

The news of Pasha’s death, who was a distinguished CSS officer, spread across social media which left everyone in shock. Several reports had also claimed that the CEO had died of a cardiac arrest.  

People across social media demanded an investigation into the matter, saying that the police should find out whether it was a suicide or someone murdered him. 

Bilal belonged to Punjab and began his primary education in a mosque-established school. He then studied at Emerson College Multan and graduated in Agriculture from the University of Faisalabad. 

He also secured 47th rank in the CSS examination. 

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Arrest Marriyum Aurangzeb and present in court on Dec 9: Lahore ATC

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  • ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan directs SHO to execute orders. 
  • Arrest orders issued for non-appearance in court. 
  • Aurangzeb accused of making hate speech against Imran Khan. 

LAHORE: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday directed the police to arrest Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Marriyum Aurangzeb in a hate speech case and produce her in court on December 9.

The orders were issued by ATC Judge Abher Gul Khan who directed the station house officer (SHO) concerned to execute the arrest warrants of Aurangzeb.  

The non-bailable arrest warrant was issued against the former information minister for not appearing before the court.

A terrorism case has been registered against Aurangzeb, Mian Javed Latif, state-run Pakistan Television’s Managing Director Sohail Khan and others for allegedly trying to incite hatred by using the religion card against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

Latif and Aurangzeb were accused of making controversial remarks at the behest of their party leadership in order to spread religious hatred against the former prime minister.

In the previous hearing, the ATC judge cancelled the non-bailable arrest warrant against Latif after he appeared before the court.

Advocate Farhad Ali Shah representing Javed Latif and Marriyum Aurangzeb appeared before the court.

During the hearing, Judge Khan inquired about the whereabouts of the PML-N leaders and was informed that Latif had appeared while Aurangzeb had not.

Consequently, the judge issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the former information minister and directed all suspects named in the case to appear before the court on December 9.

The issuance of the warrant came after the political leaders’ initial failure to appear in court. The judge set December 9 as the deadline for the prosecution to respond to the former information minister’s application seeking acquittal.

In her plea, Aurangzeb asserted that she played no role in the alleged incitement through her speeches in talk shows. She distanced herself from any claims made against her during these shows emphasising her innocence and requesting acquittal.

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