Basic relationship of state with citizens broken: PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja Thursday said that theirs is not an anarchist party at all, and that anarchy is when “you are sitting in the Houses and flouting the Constitution”.

“Accusations are being made against us by making a well-thought-out plan, but we will continue our fight for the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law,” he said while talking to media persons here. He claimed it was the history of brutality and cruelty across the country that the daughter-in-law of Shah Mahmood Qureshi was abducted on Wednesday. The PTI secretary general regretted youths are being put in jail without trial. “You want no one to talk about Constitution and law.” He added the families of Riaz Fatyana and Dr Zarqa Suhrawardy were harassed, as stories of insecurity of one’s honour and respect were heard even after elections in Lahore.

Presenting a bleak picture, he said that the majority wants to go out of this country, as the basic relationship of the state with the citizens has been broken. “There is a lot of oppression and suppression. Don’t hide what is happening in this country,” he contended. He said that the last meeting was held with the PTI founder chairman on October 3; it was said that the meeting will be held after 16 days and then ban was imposed. According to the jail manual, on October 8, the family had a meeting with Imran. Imran’s two sisters, he pointed out, were already in the prison, but one of his sisters who is outside was barred from meeting while the high court rejected the request for an urgent meeting. They decided in the political committee to protest but postponed in view of the SCO summit. Salman Akram Raja said that since 1962, corruption and sabotage have started in the system. After that, he noted, Fatima Jinnah was defeated with rigged election while Ayub Khan had ruined his reputation in 1964. “After that, our historical downfall began. But we want to play the same game again today. They want to flow rivers of honey and milk in Pakistan by using a stick,” he charged. He alleged that the purpose of the constitutional amendment was to paralyse the judiciary, as for the last few days pretense is being made for constitutional amendment, votes are being taken by beating people and insulting the honour of sisters. However, he continued that the people of Pakistan were standing and ready to fight fascism. He said that there was no such atmosphere where you can talk; a ‘wave’ of people will come here and sweep away all; Sri Lanka and Bangladesh situation will happen in Pakistan; the people will rise and no coercion will be able to stop them. The PTI leader accused the rulers of ridiculing the people as unimportant and that even today the people of the country are hungry. “You have angered an entire generation. Now that anger is festering and will explode very soon,” he cautioned.