Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, in a direct reply to the premier’s remarks earlier in the day, said protesting in a peaceful manner was part of democracy and not terrorism.

“The prime minister has been asked a simple question regarding the acquisition of apartments worth billions in London,” said Imran. “Instead of giving us an answer, he is touring the country and blaming our earlier sit-in for delays faced by development schemes,” he added.

The PTI chief also asked the prime minister to follow the example of other democratic leaders following the Panama Papers revelations. “Does this mean that as a prime minister you can commit any crime, but if we question your conduct then democracy is threatened,” he questioned.

Imran said a prime minister is answerable to the people and the opposition in a democracy. Giving his prediction regarding the premier’s next move, Imran said, “Nawaz will do what he has been doing for the last 30 years: he will try to buy the opposition and anyone else who could be a potential threat to his rule.”

Imran said that the movement started by the opposition will not end no matter how hard Nawaz tries. “The premier has also divided the country, on one side are the corrupt and on the other side are the people of Pakistan who want accountability for their money.”

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, in a harshly-worded statement said, “People should think twice about which side they want to be on.” The prime minister went on to compare political agitation with terrorism, as he was of the opinion that both hamper development and disrupt peace.