DAWN.COM

Today's Paper | November 22, 2024

Updated 13 Aug, 2017 04:17pm

PTI distributes pamphlets to answer 'Nawaz's questions on his ouster' via helicopter at Liaquat Bagh


PTI local leaders had submitted an application to the district administration seeking permission to drop pamphlets in the city from a helicopter.

“The deputy commissioner was contacted for permission to drop pamphlets through aircraft/helicopter to advertise for the public meeting on Sunday morning,” PTI MPA Arif Abbasi had told Dawn.

Earlier on Sunday, PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry claimed that Sharif had attempted to mislead the public by distributing copies of his iqamah during his 'homecoming' rally.

He said that the PTI would, through the pamphlets, explain to the public the reasons behind the PML-N leader's disqualification.

The same reasons are also expected to be announced at the gathering at Liaquat Bagh today, which is being held by the PTI and the Awami Muslim League.

"We knew Nawaz Sharif would not be able to understand the [Supreme Court ruling] in English," he claimed. "We gave him time to get help from someone who could explain the verdict to him, but in the end we have no choice but to tell him the reasons behind his disqualification ourselves."

Nawaz riles up Lahore

On the fourth and last day of his 'homecoming' rally, which had set off from Islamabad on August 9, the former prime minister's caravan arrived in Lahore. "Have you accepted Nawaz Sharif's disqualification?" he asked supporters on Saturday night while making a brief stop at Shahdara.

"Everybody said they did not accept the [Supreme Court's] decision," he told the gathered crowd.

Later, during his address to the mammoth crowd at Data Darbar, he repeated his question. "You made me a prime minister, and five people — five people — disqualified me. Tell me, is their verdict acceptable to you?" he asked, to loud shouts of dissent.

“Those who disqualified me; are they qualified?” he asked and demanded accountability of all those who had sent packing the prime ministers in the past 70 years.

Read more: Sharif vows to give country new constitution

In order to do away with the existing system “plagued by virus”, Sharif vowed to give the country a new constitution.

“As long as the basic structure of this system does not change, Pakistan will continue to suffer. We will make sure that efforts to change the constitution begin right away.”

'Why was an ordinary citizen allowed to use state machinery'

PTI leader Andleeb Abbasi in a letter to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi criticised the government for allegedly using tax money to fund the ousted PM's 'homecoming' rally.

Andleeb observed that since he has been disqualified, Sharif is an ordinary citizen and is not entitled to use state machinery for personal gain. Yet, he stayed in the Punjab House on government expenditure, and was accompanied by police and Elite Forces on his way to Lahore.

The PTI leader claimed that the protocol provided to Sharif was against the orders of the Supreme Court, which had disqualified him for "being dishonest".

She demanded to know why Sharif's motorcade allegedly included 2,000 government officials and 700 motorbikes that were being paid for by taxpayers when he was no more than an ordinary citizen.

Andleeb reminded PM Abbasi that Sharif is also facing several corruption cases in the National Accountability Bureau.

She claimed that the Constitution gave her the right to question the government for alleged misuse of state funds, and demanded an answer from PM Abbasi within 21 days.

Read Comments

IHC grants Imran bail in new Toshakhana case as govt rules out release Next Story