Imran directed seeking NOC for public meeting: Qaiser

ISLAMABAD: Former NA speaker and central leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Asad Qaiser has said the Islamabad pubic meeting was cancelled in the light of directions from the founder chairman that the meeting must be held only after getting an NOC (no objection certificate).

He explained during an interview with a private TV channel that during PTI leadership’s recent meeting, Imran Khan had categorically said that the public meeting must be held after receiving an NOC so that the (rulers) could not find any justification for unleashing violence on party workers and file fake cases. “If the NOC is withdrawn, then pursue the issue through courts,” he quoted the party founder as telling them. He insisted had they been allowed to hold the Islamabad meeting, it would have been the largest ever in Pakistan’s history.

However, he said that they had mutually decided on a policy shift and go for public meetings without an NOC. He said, “Enough is enough, party workers are frustrated and it is time to go for public meetings without NOC, removing all obstacles in way.”

Asad Qaiser said this proposal would be presented to Imran in their meeting with him on Thursday and time was ripe to hold such events without NOC as the rulers had no moral or legal authority as, according to him, they came to power through a fake mandate and Form 47. He also dispelled the impression that the decision to postpone the Tarnol meeting was taken by one or two PTI people, claiming this was decided by the whole party leadership represented in the political committee.

To a question, he said they were in contact with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and would like to have a meeting with him in a day or two. He regretted that massive taxation and increases in power tariffs on IMF instructions had made it impossible for the common man to afford two meals.