Swati resents curbs on his freedom of movement

PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Azam Khan Swati on Wednesday resented repeated restrictions on his freedom of movement.

“It is my legal right to travel abroad, yet I am being repeatedly stopped by placing my name on the travel restriction lists,” he said. “Why was I the only one arrested from PTI’s leadership in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on October 5? I spent five months in jail. I leave this question to the public,” he added while talking to the media. “The people do not recognize the ‘Form 47’ winners; they recognize only the founder of PTI as their true leader. Right now, the only real leadership is the military leadership, and the public leadership rests with the PTI founder,” said Swati. “It is essential that the founder of PTI should be released to stand side by side with both the military and the people,” he demanded. About the recent Indian attack against Pakistan, he said, “Modi is a spokesperson for RSS and follows a policy reminiscent of Hitler’s. He represents an extremist Hindu party. To counter Modi and stabilize the economy, the release of the PTI founder is indispensable,” he suggested. “Maulana Fazlur Rehman is an important public force and this fact cannot be denied. A grand alliance is a good idea, but Maulana’s involvement is absolutely essential,” he said while talking of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F chief. Swati alleged that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had played no role in the country’s progress and the recent victory over India.