PTI ready to sit with govt for new elections, says Shah Mehmood Qureshi

MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi Saturday said that they were ready to sit with the government for new elections in the country.

Addressing public meetings, he said if the government indicated that it was ready to hold fair elections under a transparent and autonomous Election Commission, the PTI would sit with it. “We are ready to discuss legislation on electoral reforms. Doors are never closed in politics; there is always room for discussion but not without a reason but under a national agenda to take the country out of crisis,” he added.

Qureshi said they still had the same demand that elections should be announced immediately. “The betterment of the country and the nation lies in this,” he said, adding, “At the moment, economy is in the grip of the worst crisis and it can get out of the situation only when a government with a popular mandate comes to power.”

PMLQ leader Rai Mansab Ali, along with his son and former town Nazim Rai Arif Mansab and a large group, announced the support of PTI candidate Mehr Bano Qureshi in NA-157.

Addressing the ceremony, Qureshi said that unfortunately people in power in the country had prioritised their personal agenda over national interests. “They built properties abroad by looting the national treasury. They disturbed the country from the development agenda. They are not sincere with the country,” he alleged.

Qureshi said Imran Khan wanted to mobilise the nation to achieve real freedom. “He wants to include the educated class of the country in the real freedom movement. The nation should go ahead and support Imran Khan for real freedom,” he said, adding that stabilising the economy was in the interest of all. The economy, he maintained, will not be able to sustain itself in this uncertain political situation.

He said people had lost faith in the government, because their condition had worsened instead of improving. “Every segment is worried about the rising inflation. Even today there are areas in Pakistan where people are deprived of clean drinking water. They have to sell everything for treatment. The PTI government launched health cards for free treatment to poor people. The imported rulers also took away free medical facilities from them,” he added.

He said Imran Khan wanted to raise the standard of living of the people by providing facilities to them. “The PTI has formed its government in Punjab and it will soon rule in the Centre along with Punjab. The Multan by-election is not between two people. It is an election of two views. On the one side, there is the theory of Imran Khan’s soldiers and on the other side, there are 11 gangs of thieves,” he charged.