Election only solution to steer country out of political, economic crises: Asad Umar

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Secretary General Asad Umar on Sunday said the closed-room politics succeeded when an elected government was sent home a year ago, adding that the election was the only solution to take Pakistan out of the political and economic crises.

He was addressing a press conference before attending an Iftar programme at the Insaf House in Karachi. He said the incumbent government has not been able to handle the national spirit of the people to date. “Pakistan’s historical rallies were held by Imran Khan in the month of Ramazan although he was not in the Parliament but the people came out to support him,” he added.

He said there is a severe economic crisis in the country as thousands of businessmen and traders have closed their workplaces and businesses, adding that at first political crisis emerged and then the economic crisis. “Those who were behind the regime change were frightened and realised that their experiment has been failed,” he added.

The former federal minister said: “PTI was successful against looters of Punjab. Imran Khan was their target and as many as two dozen cases were registered against me and other PTI leaders, while around 3,000 political workers were arrested.”

He said the incumbent government has a wrong view about the social media, while it is a platform that gives voice to people in every home, adding that Azhar Mashwani and social media team members of the PTI were picked up from their homes in Karachi.

Umar said that the voice of the people cannot be silenced by coercion and force, adding that the government needs to rethink over its policies. He said the PMLN has become blind in its politics while nothing is always final in politics. “Listen to the voice of the people of Pakistan and take decisions according to the Constitution. We will look into the matter of missing PTI workers from a legal point of view,” he added.