PTI plans power show at Minar-e-Pakistan on April 23

Leadership expects it to be the biggest among a series of planned public gatherings

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced a large public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan on April 23, to protest the alleged foreign conspiracy of regime change and the ousting of PTI Chairman and former PM, Imran Khan and his elected government.

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday, PTI Punjab President, Shafqat Mehmood, said that Pakistan is an independent and sovereign state and it has a duty to adopt an independent foreign policy.

Arch-rivals and thieves had teamed up to oust the elected government of Imran Khan, but the country had witnessed large crowds come out in almost all parts of the country, to protest against the alleged foreign conspiracy of regime change and reject the “imported” government, he added.

Mehmood announced that the party has decided to initiate public movement against suspected foreign interference and a series of public gatherings were planned across Pakistan.

A big public gathering is being held in Peshawar on Wednesday (today), a public rally in Karachi on Saturday and a mammoth public gathering at Minar-e-Pakistan on Sunday.

He underscored that the opposition will soon recognise the power of the PTI. It is very unfortunate that Shehbaz Sharif was taking oath as the prime minister on the day when an indictment in a Rs16 billion money laundering case was announced. In a democracy, fresh elections should be held if such an ugly situation arises, he maintained and added that his party would accept results and even sit on opposition benches if free and fair elections were conducted in the country. He also underscored that the armed forces are guarantors of national integrity, but some forces aimed to create a gulf between the armed forces and the PTI.

Responding to a question, Mehmood said that PTI lawmakers under the leadership of party Chairman Imran Khan have decided to tender resignation from the National Assembly, as they believe that they cannot sit with alleged foreign conspirators on the floor of the house.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2022.