While blaming Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for creating chaos in the country, Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid refuted media reports and PTI’s claim that a PTI worker was shot dead by a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) worker in Faisalabad, assuring that the shooter would be arrested.
Addressing a press conference on Monday in response to PTI’s shutdown in Faisalabad as part of the party’s Plan C, Rashid said, “Spreading anarchy was the sole objective of Khan’s Plan C,” adding that PTI’s Plan D aims to “destroy the entire country”.
The PTI chief had threatened a countrywide shutdown on December 18 and in major cities of Lahore, Karachi and Faisalabad if his longstanding demand for an independent audit of the May 2013 elections was not accepted.
Taking a jibe at the PTI chief for dominating his party’s decisions, the information minister said, “When residents of Faisalabad announced they would not participate in the PTI shutdown, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi claimed they would protest peacefully.”
Rashid said majority of the people of Faisalabad rejected the shutdown call given by Khan, adding that the civil society, traders and businessmen had expressed serious reservations over PTI’s “unconstitutional” call of shutting down the city.
When the people of Faisalabad paid no heed to Khan’s call, he started “inciting the people to violence,” said Rashid, adding that “Gunda” elements of PTI sought to forcibly close down many schools in Faisalabad but failed.
“Khan told his workers to go on rampage and scuffle with police in Faisalabad,” alleged the minister, adding that the police deployed in the city had been kept unarmed.
“Khan should accept the decision of citizens of Faisalabad,” said Rashid.
Urging the PTI chief to take responsibility for the chaos his workers caused in Faisalabad on Monday, Rashid said, “Tomorrow, you (Imran) will say nothing happened in Faisalabad and say you never asked them (your workers) to do this, just as you take back your words every day.”
The minister warned that such events would repeat in Lahore as well, where the PTI has called for a shutdown on December 15.
Further, he requested PTI to take up the matter and its grievances in court, instead of aggravating the situation.
“Because of you (PTI), Pakistan’s economy has suffered immensely,” Rashid said, adding, “Industries in Faisalabad are preparing for Christmas orders worldwide, and the government ensured they have gas and electricity to meet the demand but you shut them down.”
“After looking at what is going on in Faisalabad on TV today, will people give us orders? No, they will give orders to countries where there is no Imran Khan.”
Further, he questioned why the PTI chairman has not “shutdown” the country in which his children live.
Shifting his focus to the deceased worker, the information minister assured that “those responsible” will be arrested.
“Three teams have been formed by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to arrest the man who was seen firing,” he said.
All democratic forces of the country are united against the nefarious designs of anti-state elements to derail democracy, said the minister. He also called upon Khan to shun the politics of violence and practice mature politics.
How many more must die before MNS aborts his monarchy. How many more sons of pakistan must shed their blood to establish a nation free of tyranny injustice and theocracy. Shame on you nawaz! Your coffers of gold are getting bigger by the day amd thats all your interested in. While the comman man in pakistan is jnable to feed and cloth his family!! Shame on u!
Comments are closed.