Daily Times

The politicians of Khyber Pakthunkhwa here Sunday slammed the agitation of Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf at Islamabad and termed it illogical. a“From recent protest demonstrations and agitation, it is seemed that PTI leadership has not been interested in the economic recovery of the country rather trying to get relief for their founder, who was in jailed in serious corruption cases,” said Ikhtair Wali Khan, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Information Secretary and former MPA while talking to APP.

Declaring the uncalled for protest agitation of PTI leadership as unjustified, Ikhtair Wali Khan said PTI leadership did not learn lesson from their past mistakes and flopped Dharna at D Chowk in the past and was again repeating the same blunder despite losing KP and Punjab Govts due to premature dissolution of assemblies in these provinces.

Terming politics of hooliganism as detrimental for democracy, he said that Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf’s agitation first at Lahore and later in Rawalpindi and Islamabad have totally negated the spirit of democratic principles and political tolerance.

“The clashes of PTI workers with Punjab Police have exposed the tall claims of the former calling themselves as champion of democracy and rule of law,” he said, adding “PTI workers’ scuffling with law enforcers were also tantamount to take law into hands and create anarchy in society”.

“PTI workers have not only violated the 144CrpC but also tarnished their own image before the entire nation due to uncalled for political hooliganism,” he said, alleging that pelting of stones on police’s vehicles and breaking citizens’ cars has no service to the nation.

The PMLN leader said that no government could allow holding of such agitation rallies and demonstrations at red zone especially at Islamabad, claiming that the PTI has been repeatedly requested to postpone its rally for security reasons that were not reciprocated well.

“The flopped rallies exposed the PTI leadership’s deep frustration and anxiety after people of Punjab kept their distance from it,” he said.

Ikhtair Wali reiterated the CM KP was known for raising merely empty tall slogans and advised him to stage rallies and walks at DI Khan and other southern districts where the law and order situation was deteriorating due to lackluster policies of PTI.

“When a three-time elected Prime Minister Muammad Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz could face court cases and imprisonment in the politically motivated cases without any protest in their favor then why not PTI founder,” he said.

Former KP Minister Wajid Ali Khan said there was no need of taking out protest rallies in Islamabad as media is free and politicians’ voices could easily be reached to every corner of the country through media.

He said bringing hordes of protesters from Khyber Pakthunkhwa to Islamabad and Lahore was tantamount to putting extraordinary pressure on Govt and state institutions in a bid to get relief for the PTI founder.

The former minister alleged that KP Govt resources were massively used in Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi flopped shows, adding the taxpayers had all right to ask from CM KP about utilization of their money.

He said that the billion trees project was taken over by the NAB while BRT was facing a shortfall of Rs3.2 billion annually, and dozens of mini macro dams constructed in northern KP were washed away by the 2022 floods, exposing PTI Govt’s ill planning and poor selection of sites on rivers and water streams.

“Like PTI “Jail Bharo Movement”, he said this aimless agitation campaign of PTI was also miserably failed, adding the four years of PTI government was responsible for the economic quagmire.

They questioned the utilization of Rs 417 billion provided to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Govt since 2010 under the NFC award including the period of 10 years of PTI.

They claimed that why standard things like a safe city project, forensics, and DNA labs were not established by the PTI rulers and why the counter-terrorism department was not fully equipped in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where cases of terrorism have again surged.

The political experts said that further wrangling among political parties would serve no purpose rather will weaken democratic institutions and create anarchy in society.

Due to political wrangling among political players in the past, they said democracy was derailed four times in Pakistan and that no elected prime minister completed his five year constitutional terms in the country’s parliamentary history. To ensure continuity of democracy and strengthening of democratic institutions, it was necessary that all political forces should sit together and hold meaningful dialogue imperative to bring political and economic stability to the country.

It is hoped that the PTI leadership would concentrate on people problems and development projects in KP rather than take law in hands, and will contribute to the country’s economic stability, which is vital for a prosperous nation.