Opposition didn’t ask army chief to overthrow govt: Ahsan

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal has said the institutions are worried about the performance of the government, and not the PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement].

Addressing a press conference along with Azma Bukhari and Ataullah Tarar at the party's central secretariat in Model Town here on Saturday, he said the opposition had not asked the army chief to overthrow the government. “We will send the government packing with the power of our planned long march and save the country on February 1, 2021,” he announced.

The PDM leadership would announce the final date for the long march after consultations, Ahsan said adding that the government should learn lessons from the history. He said it was time for everyone to be accountable and now was the time that all others should also learn from the past. He said that all the doors on non-political interference in politics should be closed.

He said politicians have learnt this and now the others should also learn it. He said the ‘selected’ would have to leave after a few months. He warned that the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE), FIA, police and other institutions should not tarnish their image for the sake of the guest government.

He said the PDM announcement in Lahore public meeting was the most important resolution after Pakistan came into being in which all parties promised to work together. He said the opposition was not fighting for power but to save people. Ahsan said that the prime minister used to announce providing containers and food to the opposition for protest, but he was arrogantly imposing draconian laws in the country now. He said the entire nation was demanding his resignation. He said the PDM would make a long march to get Imran Khan's resignation, if he did not resign, then the PDM would resign from the assemblies and the system would collapse.

He said that Imran Khan said that the institutions were angry with the opposition, but in reality they (institutions) were worried about the poor performance of the government.