‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans provoke PM to order action against PTI, PAT

• Flood victims in AJK and Sargodha chant ‘Go Nawaz Go’ slogans during PM’s visit
• PM vows not to give in to ‘unconstitutional, illegal’ demands of protesters

‎In wake of “Go Nawaz Go” slogans raised by flood victims of District Bagh of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Sargodha, a furious Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Friday approved punitive action against workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT)‎, Pakistan Today has learnt.

“The government has finally decided to take action against the protesters and a possibility of a midnight operation cannot be ruled out. However, any such decision has to be taken by the PM himself,” the source in the government said.

Following the PM’s decision, over 200 workers of both the parties ‎were arrested while more are likely to be nabbed.

The source added that more arrests are likely to be made to thwart PTI’s plan to observe “One Nation Day” on completion of one month of its protest sit-in against the government in the federal capital on Saturday (today).

The source added that the PM has directed Interior Secretary Shahid Khan to personally supervise the action to ensure the writ of the State in the federal capital and to adopt stringent measures against law-violating protesters.

“The premier has finally realised that the damage done by continuous speeches of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and PAT Chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri. Though the cabinet ministers had so far been terming the speeches by the duo as hollow and useless, the government is now feeling the heat,” the source added.

FATE OF DIALOGUES:

Soon after the arrests, PAT announced to boycott the ongoing dialogue process with the government negotiators but PTI has not make any such announcement yet.

The source added that the premier also told a meeting of the federal cabinet on Friday that the government would not accept any unconstitutional demands in dialogue with PTI and PAT.

“All constitutional and legal demands of PTI and PAT have been discussed and the government is ready to pay heed to the demands but will not accede to the unconstitutional and illegal demands,” the PM reportedly said.