PTI’s hooliganism detrimental to democracy, political tolerance
PESHAWAR (APP): The hooliganism demonstrated by the PTI workers yesterday at Lahore was being termed as against the spirit of democratic principles and political tolerance by the experts here on Thursday.
“The violent clash of PTI workers with Lahore police negated the tall claims of the former of being champion of justice and supremacy of institutions that resulted in death of one person,” said Ikhtair Wali Khan, PMLN KP Spokesman and former member provincial assembly while talking to APP.
Despite repeated requests by the Lahore police to PTI workers to peacefully disperse, he said that PTI workers’ scuffle with law enforcers was tantamount to taking law into hands.
“PTI workers has not only violated 144CrpC but also tarnished their own image before people,” he said, adding pelting of stones on police vehicles and breaking citizens’ vehicles at Canal Road, Mall Road and Zaman Park by the enraged workers was no service to the nation.
He said no government can allow holding of two mass rallies parallel including PTI rally and woman march and that was why PTI was repeatedly requested to postpone its rally for security reasons that was not reciprocated well by the PTI leadership including Imran Khan.
“Who would have been responsible in case of subversive activities during PTI rally or women’s march,” he said, adding that the media is free and the judiciary was functioning independently and if any political leader including Imran Khan had any problem can approach these forums for addressal.
He said the country was passing through a very difficult time since its establishment and political leadership including PTI was expected to act wisely by not creating law and order situation in the country especially in Punjab.
“The Lahore’s riots exposed the PTI leadership’s deep frustration after prematurely dissolving the Punjab and KP Assemblies,” he said, adding such ill tactics were used by Imran Khan to please the enraged workers after his childish decision.
Ikhtair Wali said that Imran Khan can stage rallies anywhere he chooses and there was no issue in peaceful public gathering under the law. However, he questioned when Imran Niazi will learn to remain abide by law, adding Imran Khan had hardly appeared in courts to defend his cases.
“If a three times elected Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif can face courts cases and imprisonment then why not Imran Khan. Was Imran Khan above the laws of Pakistan,” he questioned.
Wajid Ali Khan, ANP leader and former provincial minister said that there was no need of taking out a parallel rally in Lahore along with the women’s march that created law and order situation on the International Women’s Day due to PTI’s stubbornness.
“Imran Khan was responsible of the yesterday’s Lahore riots that resulted killing of an innocent political worker,” he said and added if Imran Khan asked his supporters to withdraw rally a precious life could have been saved and vehicles of citizens have not been damaged.
He said that Lahore’s unfortunate incident was tantamount to creating unrest in Punjab province after announcement of the election schedule as PTI was afraid of PDM popularity.
ANP leader said PTI has violated section 144 CrpC imposed by the government to avoid any untoward incident in Lahore and the PTI’s rally was tantamount to not accepting the country’s laws.
Sahibzada Hamza, PMLN Nowshera President said that the PTI Chief was continuously evading court appearances by displaying his plastered leg and at the same time was staging big rallies which were beyond his understanding.
He alleged that Imran Khan was involved in serious crimes and corruption cases including Toshakhana and PTI foreign funding cases and was getting relief compared to Nawaz Sharif who was sentenced for not taking salary from his son.
Terming Imran as Fitna Khan’, he said PTI Chief had been exposed due to his repeated vandalism in the court premises. He said PTI government has itself closed own created Ehtasab Commission at Peshawar that exposed Imran Khan tall anti corruption claims.
He said the billion trees project was taken over by the NAB and BRT was completed four times higher compared to Lahore and Islamabad metros, thus PTI wasted taxpayer money.
He said the PTI Jail Bharo Movement has miserably failed in KP and Punjab. He said the Imran Khan government was responsible for the economic quagmire in the country after he backtracked from the agreement made with the IMF.
Imran Khan had laid various economic traps for the present government after knowing that his days were numbered before his constitutional removal through a successful no-confidence motion by the national assembly.
He said that Rs 417 billion were provided to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2010 under the NFC award including the period of 10 years of PTI and questioned that why standard things like a safe city project, forensics, and DNA labs were not established and why the counter-terrorism department was not fully equipped in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The political experts said that wrangling among political parties would serve no purpose rather weaken democratic institutions and create anarchy.
For continuity of democracy and strengthening of democratic institutions, they said it was necessary that all political forces should sit together and hold meaningful dialogues for free and transparent elections that is imperative to bring political and economic stability to the country.
