LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday decided to hold political power shows at Liberty Chowk in Lahore and other divisional headquarters across Punjab on Saturday (December 17).
PTI Chairman Imran Khan is expected to announce a date for dissolving the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the party’s future plan through a video link address.
The former prime minister chaired a meeting of PTI Central Punjab and Lahore leadership. PTI President Dr Yasmin Rashid, General Secretary Hammad Azhar, PTI Lahore President Imtiaz Sheikh and others were also present in the meeting, disclosed sources.
Moreover, during a meeting with the PTI’s lawmakers from Bhakkar, Mianwali, Pakpattan, Sargodha and Sahiwal, he assured them that the assemblies will be dissolved this month; “I will announce a date to dissolve the provincial assemblies before December 20”.
Punjab Senior Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, former federal minister Hammad Azhar and other PTI leaders were also present in the meeting.
Khan also highlighted the coalition government’s inept economic policies and said it has brought the country on brink of default.
“The PTI’s politics was not against the country’s interests. The PML-Q was their key ally, and they were on the same page over the dissolution decisions,” he added.
On this occasion, the PTI lawmakers showed their support for the PTI chairman’s decision to dissolve the assemblies. Meanwhile, in a press conference, Senior Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal said that the PTI has decided to dissolve the assemblies this month and its final date will be announced at Liberty Chowk; “a meeting has been called under the chair of PTI Chairman to discuss matters relating to the dissolution of assemblies”.
Iqbal further said that his personal opinion was that the assemblies should be dissolved before December 20 so that elections could be held before Ramazan. “The former prime minister was a reality and Pakistan’s politics revolved around him. Hence, no one should be under the illusion of removing the public leader Imran Khan from politics. The leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement cannot stand in front of the popularity of Imran Khan,” he added.
The minister averred that political parties operate under ideology while the PML-N and the PPP have no ideology other than corruption. “Khan’s strenuous efforts were aimed at the elimination of corruption and supremacy of justice and law, and the people were standing with his ideology,” he added.
He said only snap polls will end political and economic instability in the country, adding that the economy was sinking and no international organisation was ready to trust the incompetent rulers. He also regretted that the prices of petroleum products were rising in Pakistan while in other countries it was decreasing.
He averred that the army should not interfere in politics, adding that they want a political dialogue with the federal government, but first it should give a date for the general elections.
“All issues, including the dissolution of the assemblies, can be discussed,” he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022