The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has threatened to paralyse traffic in the Punjab if the government created any impediments for the participants of the party’s proposed May 11 protest in Islamabad, PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry said on Wednesday.
Addressing a press conference, Chaudhry said that arrangements had been made to stage a historic protest in Islamabad.
“We have received reports from sources in the police and administration that the government plans to sabotage our protest call and resort to underhand tactics to create hurdles for the PTI workers to keep them from participating in the protest. However, all police officials and other government functionaries who attempt to create hurdles in the protest will be taken to task,” Chaudhry said.
He said that “The Sharif government has failed on all fronts. Rampant poverty, electricity and gas shortages, unemployment and inflation demonstrate that this government is incapable of delivering.” He said that due to energy shortages, exporters in the Faisalabad region alone had suffered a loss of Rs85 billion and around 15 million daily-wage employees had lost their jobs.
He claimed that rigging had taken place on “at least 70 National Assembly seats and PTI candidates who were winners were made to lose in these constituencies.”
The PTI leader expressed concern over the law and order situation. “Street crime has jumped 70 percent in the Punjab compared to the previous year.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 8th, 2014.