LAHORE: After a month-long lull, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has decided to launch another protest movement across Pakistan, but this time it would be against “skyrocketing inflation” and the “economic meltdown” in the country.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry made this announcement while talking to reporters after a meeting of the party’s senior leadership with Chairman Imran Khan at the latter’s Zaman Park residence on Thursday.

Mr Chaudhry said the movement, which will kick off on Friday (today), will continue till the end of the incumbent regime led by the Pakistan Democratic Movement. He added that initially, the PTI MNAs and MPAs would take out rallies in their respective constituencies whereas the next plan of action would be announced by Mr Khan who would join the protest movement after three weeks.

It may be mentioned that PTI wrapped up its latest ‘Azadi march’ on Nov 27 with an announcement that provincial assemblies of Pun­jab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be dissolved. The march was supposed to reach Islamabad initially, but it was diverted to Rawal­pindi where PTI chief Imran Khan announced plan for the disbandment of assemblies.

Fawad says PTI chief will join demos after three weeks

‘Technocrat setup’

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, who had opposed the technocrat government during his media talk on Wednesday, said the matter was discussed during the PTI meeting and the party unanimously rejected this alleged plan. He said the masses would oppose attempts to install a “technocrat government” and added that under the Constitution, only fresh general elections were the way out of this quagmire.

The former information minister said the PDM government should avoid running away from elections. According to Fawad Chaudhry, former premier Nawaz Sharif was “becoming instrumental in imposition of martial law during the change of guard in the army but Imran Khan’s wisdom helped save the country”.

“I want to tell the establishment that it should take prudent decisions with respect to the current circumstances, otherwise it will be blamed,” Mr Chaudhry said.

The PTI leader said the PTI and PML-Q would ensure that the Punjab chief minister should take the vote of confidence before Jan 11, when the court would resume hearing on the “unconstitutional order” of the governor removing CM Parvez Elahi and his cabinet.

Mr Chaudhry said that PPP leaders, including Asif Ali Zardari, had reached Punjab with bags full of money to buy Punjab MPAs to defeat the trust vote.

He added that the politics of turncoats had ended as none of the treasury MPAs would accept “bribes” to skip the trust vote.

The PTI leader urged the Punjab Assembly speaker to share details of the PPP leaders’ activities in Punjab with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). He said the Punjab governor and chief secretary should appear before the Punjab Assembly Privilege Committee and explain notifications pertaining to the removal of the CM and cabinet.

Mr Chaudhry said the PTI senators would also protest in front of a building in Islamabad where Senator Azam Swati was being detained. He said about 45 FIRs had been registered against him — a testament to the violation of human rights in the country.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2022