ISLAMABAD - While coming down hard on the incumbent PML-N government for petrol crisis in the country, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday said it would not resort to ‘dharna politics’ again to avoid any criticism and for the sake of the national unity to fight terrorism and extremism.
PTI chief Imran Khan, while addressing a press conference at his Bani Gala residence, severely condemned the government, holding it responsible for petrol shortage in the country. He said the government was setting examples of bad governance one after the other. “You can see the latest example of long lines at filling stations,” he said.
The PTI chief also blamed the government authorities for getting kickbacks over petroleum products for creating petrol shortage despite the fact that the prices of the petroleum products at the international market had dropped by more than 60 percent.
“We will not go for another dharna at this stage because the nation is united to fight the menace of militancy and we don’t want to be blamed for damaging the national unity,” the PTI chairman said.
Imran Khan also reiterated his party’s demand for forming the judicial commission to investigate massive rigging in the last general elections and said those involved in the rigging should be punished. He said his party would go to the Parliament once the government formed the commission.
He alleged former chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and former SC judge Justice (retd) Khalilur Rehman Ramday both were involved in manipulating the elections in Punjab in favour of PML-N. In a Lahore constituency only, 25 percent votes were found without thump impressions and proper signatures while many bags were found without forms XIV and XV, he alleged. He added fake ballot papers were also got published in the NA constituency of district Toba Tek Sign where Justice Ramday’s brother won the election.
Khan said after the PTI ended its more than four-month long sit-in, the ruling PML-N has again started increasing inflation through raising GST on petroleum products, imposing gas surcharge and hiking electricity tariff.
Imran Khan also strongly condemned a French magazine for reprinting blasphemous caricatures and urged the international leaders and OIC to play their role. He said it was a major failure of the OIC that it did not take up the issue at the international level. He questioned why there was ban in France to talk about Holocaust.
PTI MNA Asad Umar, speaking on the occasion, said infighting in power corridors was going on over appointment of a permanent Pakistan State Oil managing director and alleged huge commission was involved in this appointment. This was the reason that the government had so far failed to take decision in this connection even after the passage of 18 months. He said due to inefficiency of the government, PSO had defaulted while no international agency was ready to open an LC for import of furnace oil. Former MNA and seasoned politician, Riaz Fatyana, and senior politician, Saeed Virk, announced to join PTI on the occasion. The PTI chairman welcomed their decision to join his party.