ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) and PTI on Tuesday announced countrywide protests on Friday against Imran Khan\u2019s imprisonment, rising inflation and other issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The announcement was made by senior PTI leaders during a press conference held out the Parliament House after a parliamentary party meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The press conference was addressed by former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and PTI parliamentary leader Shahid Khattak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Addressing the media, Qaiser said the entire party and the people of Pakistan were deeply concerned about the health of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that the parliamentary party had unanimously endorsed the decisions taken at yesterday\u2019s summit of the TTAP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cProtests will be held across the country on Friday against inflation, the increase in petroleum prices, concerns over the health of PTI founder Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, demands for their transfer to hospital, the release of political prisoners, and the restoration of fundamental human rights,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qaiser said the party paid tribute to all political leaders and workers who were imprisoned or subjected to political victimisation during the struggle for democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He alleged that elected representatives had been disqualified and politically motivated sentences handed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf the same attitude towards the opposition continues in parliament, the opposition will not allow the House to function,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former NA speaker added that the party had also decided to stage protests during parliamentary sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qaiser said the upcoming budget would prove to be an \u201canti-poor budget\u201d as the government was preparing to impose further taxes while the public was already facing severe economic pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHopes for justice in the country are fading and fundamental human rights are being denied.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The senior PTI leader added that the party demanded Imran\u2019s cases be heard on merit, and maintained that if they were heard transparently, he would not remain in jail even for a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also criticised the government\u2019s domestic and foreign policies, saying, \u201cTerrorism is increasing in the country due to wrong policies, while diplomatic relations with Afghanistan are not being handled properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that business activities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were suffering and the public was facing hardships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PTI leader demanded that Imran and Bushra Bibi be immediately shifted to the hospital in accordance with jail rules, that meetings be allowed, that the petroleum levy be withdrawn, electricity and gas load-shedding be ended, and that restrictions on the transportation of wheat and flour from Punjab be removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, Khattak, calling the government \u201cincompetent,\u201d said it should apologise to the public and claimed that those responsible for the alleged rigging through Form 47 would be held accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will go to the court of the people on Friday and I invite people from across the country to participate in the protests,\u201d Khattak said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, the TTAP, through a press release, also announced nationwide protests on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the press release, an important meeting of TTAP leaders was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Mehmood Khan Achakzai, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The meeting was attended by Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and other leaders of the alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senior lawyer and prominent politician Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan also attended the meeting, the release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDetailed discussions were held on the overall situation in the country and the region, while serious concern was expressed over the deteriorating economic conditions in the country,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participants said the government had \u201ccompletely failed\u201d in governance, maintaining law and order, and controlling inflation and unemployment, it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe participants said 18-hour electricity load-shedding is continuing in the country, farmers are facing severe difficulties, labourers have no support, and the salaried class is bearing the entire burden, with their economic destruction continuously increasing,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per the press release, the meeting said the upcoming budget would be an IMF budget that would place an additional economic burden on the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The meeting strongly condemned the \u201cunconstitutional and illegal treatment\u201d of opposition parties in the country, including PTI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cParticipants paid tribute to all political prisoners, including Imran, who they said were making sacrifices for democracy and the supremacy of the Constitution in the country,\u201d the release said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expressing serious concern over reports regarding Imran\u2019s health, the meeting demanded that he be immediately shifted to a hospital and that his family members and political associates be allowed to meet him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe meeting condemned the inhumane treatment of political prisoners in jails and demanded the immediate release of all political detainees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt also demanded the release of Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Dr Mahrang Baloch, Ali Wazir, and all other detained leaders,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participants stressed the protection of the constitutional rights of the provinces and said that the supremacy of the Constitution and democracy was essential to steer the country out of the crises it was facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe TTAP leadership decided to hold nationwide protests on Friday against soaring inflation, the massive increase in petroleum prices, the prevailing lawlessness in the country, the demand for immediate transfer of Imran to a hospital, and the release of political prisoners,\u201d the release added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this regard, it added that the protest demonstrations would be held at all district headquarters across the country on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe meeting stated that legislation through what it called a fake assembly formed on the basis of Form 47 was an illegal act and that the country was currently facing one of the worst crises in its history.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The participants reaffirmed their resolve to continue the struggle at every level for the protection of the Constitution, democracy, and the rights of the people, the release said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) and PTI on Tuesday announced countrywide protests on Friday against Imran Khan\u2019s imprisonment, rising inflation and other issues. The announcement was made by senior PTI leaders during a press conference held out the Parliament House after a parliamentary party meeting. The press conference was addressed by former […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":126209,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n