Shehbaz warns protests could hurt economic gains, urges PTI to reconsider

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday urged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to call off its long march, warning that protests and road blockades could disrupt economic activity and affect the country’s recent economic gains.

Addressing the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Kashmir Chowk underpass in Islamabad, the prime minister said “dark shadows of long marches” were emerging again and called on the protesters to reconsider their plans.

Shehbaz said the PML-N and PPP joint committees had, through consensus, decided to hold talks with the PTI leadership to end the long marches and resolve differences through mutual agreement.

“We hoped the talks would reap positive results, however, unfortunately this could not materialise as the opposition at the eleventh hour demanded changes to the draft,” he said.

The prime minister said protests and marches could affect imports and exports and prevent workers, engineers and others from reaching their workplaces on time.

“The first victim of politics of marches and protests would be your economy,” he said.

Shehbaz said the government had worked as a team over the past two and a half years to stabilise the economy and achieve macroeconomic stability, adding that the focus should now be on growth and development.

He cited growth in exports, IT exports and remittances in September and warned against any disruption to the economic progress.

“If someone damages this progress, then will it not be tantamount to enmity with the country?” he asked, adding that the government would take measures to protect the lives and property of citizens.

“I would like to ask the marchers to think again if this act would benefit or inflict loss upon Pakistan,” Shehbaz said. “I would like to request you to end this protest and if you do so, then we can sit with you for talks.”

The prime minister’s remarks came a day after PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said government-opposition talks had broken down over two key issues: access to incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan and the Centre’s approach to tackling terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without involving the provincial government.

Raja said the PTI negotiating team had reached agreement with the government on several issues but maintained that progress on them was not meaningful without resolving the two “core” disputes.

The PTI has demanded unrestricted access to Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in Rawalpindi. Raja said the party had sought access to Khan as a condition for meaningful political dialogue.

He said the government’s agreement to allow Khan’s sister and lawyer to meet him on Tuesday did not resolve the broader issue of restrictions on meetings.

Raja also said the PTI had sought the inclusion of Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma Khan, and his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, in a medical board that would examine him at a private hospital in line with Supreme Court orders.

Raja said the government team initially agreed to the proposal but later withdrew its support.