Imran Khan never sought establishment to wrap up system, says Qureshi

PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that it is good that the establishment announced that they will keep away from politics.  However, he asserted that what has already been said should not have been repeated.  

The PTI leader said Imran Khan never demanded an intervention. Instead, the PTI chief sought elections as a democratic and constitutional way out of the present instability in the country, he said speaking to Geo News in its current affairs programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath' on Friday.

Qureshi said his party has launched the long march to awaken the nation from its sleep.  

"The efforts were made to trigger panic among people so that they do not participate in the long march. They said that there would be bloodshed in the protest," the PTI leader said.

"However, people in large numbers, including women and children, came out to take part in the march."

Qureshi stressed that the long march is not intended to overthrow anyone. Instead, the long march is intended to shake the nation out of its slumber.

People should get equal rights, he said, adding those above the law should be brought under the law.

Replying to a question regarding the appointment of next army chief, the PTI leader said that institutions have their own relevance but people have the right to decide. The PTI also says that the source of power is the people, he said. No one can deny the significance of the Legislature, judiciary and national security institutions, he said, adding the PTI seeks to make institutions more effective and efficient than before.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the Pakistan Peoples Party digressed from the ideology that power rests with people. The PTI says that the people are the source of power, he noted.

No institution should violate its constitutional boundary and every institution should play its role per the Constitution of Pakistan, he asserted.

The PTI leader said that society would undergo a radical change if every citizen accepted the supremacy of the law. However, if the institution and the individual exceed their limits by going above the law, they affect society as the rights of people are infringed upon, he noted.

It is a welcome sign that the establishment has said that it will keep a distance from politics, Qureshi said.

The PTI leader reiterated the party's often-repeated stance, saying the general elections are the only way to bring stability in the country. PDM did not have the capacity to bring an anti-confidence motion, he pointed out. However, the planning behind the no-trust movement was exposed, he said.

Using the example of how the MQMP entered into an agreement with the PPP, he questioned the credibility of the no-trust move and asked for an explanation from the forces that brought these parties together.

The PTI leader said, "We will remain peaceful. We respect the law and the constitution." Answering a question about the long march, he said, "We do not aim to capture the government or Islamabad."

The PTI, instead, seeks to convince the rulers that they are out of sync with the people of Pakistan as people are disappointed with them and that the PTI is ready to talk to the government over the elections.

Replying to a query regarding Azam Swati's remarks, Shah Mehmood Qureshi said Swati's press conference is a cause of concern. This is because Imran Khan does not advocate that everything is wrapped up through intervention, he remarked.

He also said that Arshad Sharif would have been alive had his letter been heeded.

-- Thumbnail: Former foreign minister of Pakistan and PTI leader, Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Photo: The News/File