The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday refused to give up on its anti-government movement and vowed to expand it in a more energised way after several party leaders were arrested from Parliament House in an intense police crackdown in Islamabad a day ago.
“There should be no misunderstanding as people have stood up,” said PTI leader Salman Akram Raja while addressing a press conference in Peshawar on Tuesday. PTI leaders including Omar Ayub Khan, Asad Qaiser, Azam Swati, and Salman Akram Raja were also present at the presser held after the conclusion of the former ruling party’s core committee meeting.
“Some people are influencing the country’s political and democratic process,” alleged Raja, adding that they would not back off and let anyone suppress the voice of Pakistanis. Defending the PTI leaders’ speeches in the Islamabad rally, the lawyer-cum-politician was of the view that political power show has a different environment.
The opposition party strongly condemned the lawmakers’ arrests, including the detention of some MNAs from the parliament, in a police crackdown on its leadership in Islamabad launched on alleged violations of the public gathering law’s violations. At the beginning of the press conference, journalists protested over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s remarks against the newsmen during his explosive speech in the PTI’s Islamabad power show two days ago.
Journalists questioned why the KP chief executive was absent from the press conference for whom Omar had assured that he would tender an apology for his indecent remarks. Raja replied that CM Gandapur departed for an assembly session. Addressing the press conference, Ayub, who is also the opposition Leader in the National Assembly, slammed the coalition government for using all tactics to stop his party’s Islamabad public gathering.
