With the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announcing yet another protest movement against the incumbent rulers, the government has slammed the former ruling party for seeking dialogue with the establishment instead of political forces, while terming its agitation drive as an attempt to destabilise the country.
“From their media talk, it is evident that they only want to destabilise and undermine the stability achieved after Marka-e-Haq [Pakistan-India clashes] and the success in the government’s efforts for economic revival,” PM’s Adviser on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said while speaking on Geo News‘ programme “Geo Pakistan” on Monday.
Sanaullah’s remarks refer to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s presser a day earlier, where he termed the PTI’s newly launched movement as a “do or die” initiative — set to peak by August 5 — which would determine the party’s future course of action.
Among other objectives, the protest movement is aimed at securing the release of party founder Imran Khan, who will complete two years in jail on August 5.
During yesterday’s media talk while being flanked by Salman Akram Raja and other PTI leaders, CM Gandapur, who has previously led multiple marches towards Islamabad, said that former PM Khan was ready to negotiate but had said that talks could be held with “decision makers”.
“Negotiate within 90 days and end the [prevailing] issues,” the politician remarked,” the firebrand politician said.
However, Sanaullah is rather sceptical of the PTI’s new anti-government drive and termed it as a mere “attempt to destabilise the country”.
“If they remain peaceful, then it’s fine [as] it’s their democratic right [to protest]. But if they take the law into their own hands and attempt to destabilise the country — which has been their agenda from the beginning — then the law will take its due course,” he remarked today.
The senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leaders’ warning echoes his earlier remarks on Geo News‘ programme “Naya Pakistan” on Sunday, where he said that the PTI would be allowed to carry on with their protest if they remained peaceful and presented their point of view in a democratic way.
“Wherever PTI seeks permission for a rally, the local administration will give it. If the local administration thinks that they will remain peaceful, then it can give permission,” he said while referring to Gandapur’s remarks for holding a rally in Lahore.
