Elahi accuses govt of stoking army-people discord

LAHORE:

PTI Central President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Tuesday maintained that his party chairman Imran Khan never tried to create a distance between the army and the people, adding that the former premier was trying to “calm the masses” whereas Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was “adding fuel” to the current political crisis.

Elahi’s statement came in the wake of May 9 violent protests which broke out after the PTI chief was taken into custody by Rangers from the Islamabad High Court premises in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The ruling coalition government had been accusing Imran of instigating the people to carry out attacks on the government properties and military installations on the day.

Censuring the incumbent regime over passing legislations, Elahi said that there was no point in holding “Mamaji’s Court” in the National Assembly.

“There is neither opposition nor the members are complete in the lower house.”

He questioned where the IG and Punjab Police were at the time of the attack on Corps Commander’s House during the May 9 protests. “They were all watching the spectacle.”

The PTI leader maintained that the caretaker Punjab Chief Minister was the “real culprit” and called for him to be taken to task.

“The government did not deliberately try to protect the government and military installations. The ‘secret hand’ of the government will be exposed [when] a clear and transparent inquiry into the events of May 9 [is held],” he said.

The PTI president stressed that Imran always said army was indispensable for the security of the country and observed that the PDM wanted to create a distance between the military and the people.

“It has become inevitable to get rid of (PM) Shehbaz Sharif for the security of Pakistan,” he said, adding that “Shehbaz and Pakistan cannot go together”.

“PDM government wants to take a decision [on elections] in its favour from the Supreme Court at gun point, which is its old habit.”

Referring to PDM’s Monday’s sit-in in front of the Supreme Court, Elahi said that the incumbent regime had shown its “ugly face” by gathering “armed groups” outside the apex court.

He said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was doing everything to please PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif.

“Fazlur Rehman and Maryam Nawaz came with a plan to attack the Supreme Court, but the wisdom of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) failed the government plan.”

He emphasised that contempt of court proceedings should be initiated against Fazl and Maryam for delivering speeches against the apex court.

The PTI president noted that the Supreme Court was the last hope of people in the wake of the political and constitutional crisis “created by the government”.

“PDM government wants to watch the spectacle of war between the army and the people. They cannot fool the nation with its dramas nor can it prevent the Supreme Court from upholding the Constitution through blackmailing tactics.”

Elahi said the entire nation stood with the CJP and the Supreme Court to protect the Constitution.

He suggested that elections were the only solution to the current crisis.

“Instead of deviating from the Constitution, if elections had been held in Punjab on time, the situation would not have reached such a dangerous level.”