PM, Fazl discuss current political situation

Discuss future strategy in the wake of PTI chief’s release

ISLAMABAD:

JUI-F chief and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Thursday called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and discussed with him current political situation in the country in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to release PTI Chairman and former premier Imran Khan and declare his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case illegal.

During the meeting at the PM House, both the leaders strongly condemned the attacks on state institutions and damage caused to the government property after the PTI chief was taken into custody on Tuesday.

They deliberated on the apex court’s decision and discussed the future strategy.

Later, addressing a news conference, the JUI-F chief maintained that the Supreme Court had “facilitated” the PTI chief despite knowing about his “crimes”.

He said an emergency meeting of the PDM had been called on Friday (today).

We interpret Supreme Court’s decision as “facilitating” a criminal like Imran Khan, he added.

Fazl said India could not humiliate the state institutions the way PTI did.

“The nation cannot call this decision a decision of the court,” he said.

Read PM Shehbaz addresses nation in wake of Imran's arrest

“Who will be responsible if their (PTI) goons set [properties] on fire?”

 The former premier was taken into custody on May 9 by the paramilitary Rangers force on orders from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), over allegations of having looted Rs50 billion along with a property tycoon from the national treasury and getting the Al-Qadir University Trust registered on 450-kanal of land.

Riots broke out in several parts of the country with protesters allegedly belonging to the PTI attacking state institutions and causing damage to the government property.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that causing damage to public and private property amounted to a terrorist act, warning that these “terrorist and anti-state elements” would be dealt with sternly while terming Imran’s arrest legal.

The army while declaring May 9 as “black day” warned that any further attack on it or state institutions or any law enforcement agency would be dealt with full force.

Earlier, violent protesters ransacked the residence of Corps Commander Lahore and broke the gates of General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.