LAHORE: Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will make the announcement of its movement this week and it will continue until PTI founder Imran Khan is released.
While addressing a press conference on Tuesday, he said that Lahore is the biggest city of Punjab and in his opinion the movement will start from big cities. “We are not disclosing names of these cities owing to the protection of our workers and leaders but the formal announcement will be made during the current week.”
The Opposition Leader emphasised that it was a false propaganda that Punjab was not interested in protest movements; in fact, the province was actively involved in the protest movement for the past two year. The movement is still in progress and it will not stop, he added.
He also announced that this week they will go to court against the Punjab Assembly Speaker's references and they will hold a session of their assembly on Thursday outside the Punjab Assembly and the PTI provincial legislators will be participate in this real session. “It is our legal and constitutional rights, and we will not bow before Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz; we, 107 MPAs, stand firm,” he added.
Talking about the suspension of their legislators, he averred that after the suspension orders, the Punjab Speaker is making history by sending references against 26 of their legislators; what kind of precedent the government is setting? He said that the protest took place during a House’s session and it was just a protest; thus, the law of disqualification does not apply. “They are setting a wrong precedent and their legislators were being victimised,” he added.
He pointed out that the matter should be resolved in the Punjab Assembly; there are House rules and committees that were constituted just for these matters. “We were ready to investigate the matter and in this connection we submitted an application with the Speaker to provide us the footage showing PTI legislators involved in the ruckus. The Speaker’s action has also created ripples in the treasury benches,” he added.
He also announced that his party is going to challenge references filed by the Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan against 26 opposition lawmakers He accused the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of targeting opposition members at the behest of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
To a question, Bhachar said that an attempt is being made to give an impression that the PTI has been eliminated from the county; in fact, the party is intact and fully functional. “In February 8 general election it emerged as the single largest party with over 100 seats in the National Assembly despite all unfavourable circumstances. Though the former Prime Minister (Imran Khan) is sitting in the jail but he is still riding on their nerves. They have tried every technique to break him but failed to do so,” he added.
“We, 107 MPAs, are standing firm. We will not bow before Maryam Nawaz,” he declared. “On Thursday, we will hold the session of our real assembly outside the Punjab Assembly. All PTI legislators will take part.”
Bhachar also criticized the government for economic mismanagement, claiming that while farmers’ wheat is being sold at suppressed rates, sugar prices are being driven up by what he described as a “sugar mafia.” He further alleged that the chief minister orchestrated a staged traffic challan to favor her son, questioning whether official protocol had been misused.
On this occasion, he questioned the Punjab Chief Minister’s good governance, saying she made a tall claim of providing quality health services and thus there was no need to go abroad for a medical treatment; ironically, her father goes abroad for a blood pressure check. “What compelled her to order the arrest of a hospital’s Medical Superintendent in Pakattan without knowing the actual facts; is this good governance? Does she knows there is shortage of medicines in government hospitals and not a single rupee was allocated for the provision of medicines,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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