F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan announced Saturday he would share his future course of action in his party’s nationwide protest — slated for today (Sunday) — against rising inflation. Chairing a meeting of his party spokespersons, the former premier said that the future course of action will be decided along with the nation in tomorrow’s (June 19) protest.
“Oppression and force cannot stop the people from raising their voices,” he added. During the meeting, the PTI chairman congratulated the members, especially ex-energy minister Hammad Azhar, on Pakistan’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list.
Talking about the rising prices in the country, Khan said that the PTI shielded the nation from global inflation. “The current government does not care about the people or the future of the country,” he said, adding that the “situation will be out of control if the economy was destabilised.” Khan further claimed that the “coalition government is putting the future of the nation at stake just to save themselves” and alleged that the government is destroying the institutions to keep itself in power.
Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry called the people belonging to the big cities including Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar to protest against the “high inflation and lawlessness”. Taking to Twitter, Fawad asked people to protest at Shah Abbas Chowk in Multan, Ghanta Ghar Chowk in Faisalabad, Commercial Market in Rawalpindi, F-9 Park in Islamabad, Liberty Chowk in Lahore, Shahrah-e-Qaideen in Karachi. He urged the people to protest with their families against the rising prices of petrol, diesel etc.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday irked over PTI s decision to boycott the recent by-elections in NA-240. According to sources, the former Prime Minister did not like the decision of PTI Sindh and Karachi to boycott NA-240.
A day earlier, Imran Khan had expressed his displeasure at a meeting of PTI leaders. “We should have contested NA-240 by-election,” he said. Following the reprimand of the former PM, PTI has decided to contest elections on NA-245. PTI will field its candidate in NA-245, a seat vacated by the death of Aamir Liaquat, added sources. Dr. Amir Liaquat, Member National Assembly of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had passed away on June 9, 2022. A statement issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that candidates for NA-245 by-election will be able to get nomination papers on June 20 while nomination forms will be submitted from June 22 to 24.
The preliminary list of candidates will be released on June 25 and the papers will be scrutinized by June 27, while the final list of candidates will be released on July 5. The ECP statement further said that the candidates who have submitted their nomination papers will be able to withdraw on July 6, while the election symbols will be allotted on July 7.
It should be noted that Amir Liaquat Hussain had defeated MQM s Dr. Farooq Sattar on NA-245 in the 2018 general elections and was elected Member National Assembly on PTI ticket. Addressing a press conference in Karachi, PTI Sindh President Ali Zaidi said that all political parties, including MQM, have been rejected by the citizens. The use of electronic voting machine (EVM) wouldn’t have created situation as yesterday, while MQM Federal Minister Aminul Haq had also supported EVM.
