PTI blasts govt over secretariat demolition

Shibli Faraz accuses govt of fascism, oppression, and violence

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday laced into the government, protesting against the Capital Development Authority (CDA) operation that demolished alleged encroachments by the party at its secretariat in the federal capital.

Shibli Faraz, the opposition leader in the Senate, tore into the treasury benches, accusing them of turning a blind eye to the actions taken against PTI.

In a fiery address, Faraz said the fascism, oppression, and violence that the government has set in motion was taking place right under its nose.

His statements came after an overnight operation where Islamabad police and local authorities demolished a section of PTI’s central secretariat, sealing the premises for allegedly flouting building bylaws.PTI has hit back, filing a complaint with the Islamabad police chief against 35 officials involved in the raid, claiming the heavy-handed action took place in the presence of a United Nations delegation.

Speaking on the floor of the upper house, Faraz alleged that alongside the demolition, party members were subjected to baton charges, and the head of the party’s Islamabad chapter, Amir Mughal, was apprehended.“You can’t muscle your way through politics.

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You may snatch our party symbol, arrest our chairman, level our offices, or invade our homes, but you can’t erase the love for Imran Khan from the hearts of the vast majority of the 250 million people in this country,” the PTI senator said.

"Whatever oppression and tyranny you may do, it will be chronicled. […] It will be very upsetting when history will be written tomorrow,” he added.

Faraz asserted that the PML-N-led coalition government failed to secure more than 27 seats in the National Assembly during the February 8 general elections, stating, “You’ve ascended to power on a pilfered mandate, so at least pretend to be virtuous.

“Your actions and tactics are not endearing you to Pakistanis or your constituents; instead, they’re sowing seeds of animosity,” remarked the senator.

He then pointed out that the economic indicators didn’t paint a rosy picture, attributing it to the climate of political instability.

The PTI senator warned that if colleagues on the treasury benches didn’t stand with the party in condemning the crackdown on the party office, it would imply their endorsement of it‘Encroachments’In response to Faraz’s remarks, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that the CDA had been instructed to expedite efforts against encroachments.

He pointed out that multiple notices had been dispatched to address the issue, stating, “You were reminded that you constructed two floors without proper authorisation and placed containers and erected a parking shed in a public area.”

Highlighting that the most recent notice was issued on May 10, the law minister maintained that the action taken against the PTI office was in line with legal procedures. He also mentioned having discussed the matter with the CDA chairman.

Regarding Faraz’s allegation that Tarar was “launching vehement verbal attacks on the judiciary”, the law minister expressed his strong objection to the statement.