Govt accused of using PTI as scapegoat

Opposition leader blames CM for politicising student issue

LAHORE:

The Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, has accused Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif of fabricating allegations against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its student wing to divert attention from her government's failure to address an alleged rape incident at a college.

Speaking at a press conference alongside fellow assembly members on Thursday, Bhachar allged that the chief minister was using the PTI as a scapegoat for her administration's shortcomings.

He alleged that the CM was politicising the matter by accusing the PTI and its student wing ISF of inciting the protests that had erupted.

Bhachar said members of the chief minister's own party had conflicting accounts of the incident compared to the official narrative provided by the police and government.

He accused the CM of focusing on raids and arrests of PTI leaders and supporters rather than addressing the needs of Punjab's citizens.

He questioned the government's commitment to women's rights while leveling such allegations against the PTI.

The opposition leader criticised the government's response to the students' protests, urging the administration to engage in dialogue with the demonstrators instead of addressing press conferences and blaming the PTI.

He emphasised that the PTI was committed to peaceful protests and opposed any illegal actions.

Bhachar alleged that the government was compiling lists of journalists who had covered the protests, with plans to take action against them.

He warned that the government was moving toward authoritarianism, claiming that recent actions, including a proposed constitutional amendment, were

steps toward imposing martial law.

Meanwhile, the PTI has asked its leaders and workers to stage peaceful demonstrations at the district level across the country in opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment and the alleged unlawful treatment of former prime minister Imran Khan in custody.