ISLAMABAD: Veteran Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser on Sunday surprisingly claimed that party lawmakers were under pressure and offered big money to buy their loyalty.
PTI chairman Gohar Khan also accused the government of pressuring PTI MPs to switch their loyalties after the Supreme Court verdict on reserved seats for women and minorities was announced.
On July 12, the Supreme Court ruled that the PTI was entitled to allotment of reserved seats, paving the way for the return of the party to Parliament, which was barred from the February 8 polls due to the election body’s December 2023 decision.
The judgment also increased pressure on the coalition alliance as it will change the composition of the National Assembly.
Asad Qaiser said the rulers were not shy as they resorted to various tactics, including pressuring lawmakers, in an attempt to cling to power.
“At this moment, a game of fire and blood is being played in the country and they are targeting a political party,” he said in a video message, announcing nationwide protests on Friday.
Qaiser said PTI will demand that all political parties, including the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), join this protest.
“My Pakistani colleagues, we have announced a protest across Pakistan next Friday under the leadership of Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan. Our protest has three goals and objectives.
Second, the veteran politician said their demonstration was against the illegal and unconstitutional imprisonment of former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi as well as “our other inmates in jail and against the illegal abduction and disappearance of our social workers and especially those who are with them connection. on social media”.
“Thirdly, our protest is against inflation which has brought doomsday to the poor people. Electricity bills have gone up, petrol prices have gone up, taxes have been imposed that are unaffordable. People will organize a historic protest on Friday,” he declared.
He said that all political parties especially GDA would be invited to participate in the protest.
He said, “All sections, be it farmers, students, traders or workers, we all have to save this country”.
