'PTI in contact with Fazl, wants joint movement against govt'

PESHAWAR: After marching to Islamabad on multiple occasions, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser has said that the former ruling party now wants to work with other political forces to launch a joint movement against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government.

"We are in contact with [JUI-F Emir] Maulana Fazlur Rehman. We want to launch a joint movement against the government," said Qaiser while speaking to the media in Peshawar on Tuesday.

The former National Assembly speaker's remarks come as the Imran Khan-founded PTI and the incumbent government have been at odds for months with the former accusing the latter of its mandate. Whereas the government has time again claimed PTI's involvement in anti-state activities.

Their confrontation intensified further in late November when the PTI held a protest at Islamabad's D-Chowk, which prompted action from law enforcers and also the registration of several cases against the party leadership.

Expanding on the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) role, Qaiser said that the Bilawal Bhutto-led party was equally complicit in the events of November 26. He said that the government had yet to initiate contact with PTI, but the party remains open to discussions regarding its demands.

The PTI leader noted that the former ruling party was committed to pursuing its struggle within the framework of the constitution and the law. He criticised the government for declaring political workers as terrorists while ignoring the actual threats posed by militants.

Highlighting the deteriorating law and order situation in the country, the former NA speaker claimed that the government was targeting PTI instead of addressing genuine security concerns.

He also announced that a ceremony to honour martyrs would be held on December 15 at Bagh-e-Naran.

He condemned the government for using force against "peaceful citizens", alleging that they fired upon unarmed individuals.

Furthermore, Qaiser described the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment as unconstitutional and reiterated PTI’s demand for the release of all "political prisoners".

'Fake cases'

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister's Adviser Barrister Muhammad Saif has said that numerous cases have been filed against the PTI founder across Punjab and Islamabad.

In a statement, Barrister Saif said that 99 first information reports (FIRs) have been registered against the PTI founder in Punjab, while 74 have been lodged in Islamabad.

The KP CM's adviser claimed that these cases were registered after the PTI founder's arrest, questioning how someone detained in jail could commit any crime.

He argued that Khan remains a significant concern for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), describing him as being "on their nerves."

Saif commended the PTI founder for resolutely facing all "fabricated cases" filed against him. He expressed confidence that the day is not far when all these baseless cases will be dismissed.