Daily Times

QUETTA: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan warned that his party would take to the streets if the federal government launched a crackdown on his party’s’ social media activists.

Addressing a gathering of supporters here on Friday, he said that the government was forcing the PTI to launch street agitation again. “I issue a stern warning if our people are touched, we will take to the streets and our party has good practice of doing so,” he said.

The PTI chairman highlighted the restrictions faced by the PTI workers and activists on social media and warned to hold the sit-in in case of social media ban in Pakistan. He criticised the federal government for not giving Balochistan its due share and claimed that certain politicians of the province were looting the people.

The rally was hosted by Quetta’s Ayub Stadium and it was after five years that the PTI held a rally in the city. The opposition lawmaker asked why there is unemployment in the country despite availability of resources, adding that the British colonial powers looted Indian subcontinent in the same way as done by Pakistan’s current ruling elite including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He accused that the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) government of corruption, money laundering and opening offshore companies through looted resources.

Imran Khan compared East India Company with Sharif family in Punjab, Zardari-led PPP in Sindh, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Mahmood Khan Achakzai in Balochisan, and Asfandyar Wali Khan-led ANP in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He opined that these ‘companies’ were functioning to become rich and the people were becoming poorer and poorer with the passage of time.

He raised the slogan of ‘changing’ Balochistan by improving the system of police and local body. While addressing the rally participants, he said, “People of Balochistan are facing the most injustice.” He said that the federal government didn’t give due share to Balochistan, adding that the PTI would replicate Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s local body and police reforms in Balochistan.

Imran criticised the Youth Loan Scheme while claiming that 75 percent of the loans were allotted in Punjab which is a proof of injustice with other provinces. “We will enforce a system of justice and equality upon coming to power,” he added.

While giving party stance on Kulbhushan Jadhav case in International Court of Justice (ICJ), the PTI chairman bashed ruling PML-N government while saying that people didn’t trust Nawaz Sharif anymore. He challenged PM Nawaz to reveal his vested interests in India and other businesses globally. He also asked the Panama case Joint Investigation Teams (JIT) to investigate PM’s offshore companies.