PTI slams 'politically motivated' cases

Ayub, Faraz reject terrorism cases against party leaders

RAWALPINDI:

Senior leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rejected on Friday the terrorism cases against the party leaders and workers and accused the government of unleashing a reign of terror against them and ignoring the plight of the people.

In their separate media talks, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Opposition Leader in the Senate, and senior party leader Dr Babar Awan, stressed that the PTI was a peaceful party and the cases against them were politically-motivated.

"Cases of terrorism have been registered against the opposition leaders of the Senate and the National Assembly despite the fact that we both are the members of the Judicial Commission, which is headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan," Ayub said. "All the cases against us are political, we condemn them," he said.

His views were echoed by the Senate opposition leader in his separate media talk. "If you institute terrorism cases against Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub and the PTI founder, it means that you are ignorant of the definition of terrorism," Faraz said.

Dr Awan said that the case of the attack on the GHQ gate was not a case of terrorism. "Don't do this; there are no terrorists in the PTI," he said. However, he said that the PTI would not seek any deal. "We don't ask for any deal or 'Dheel' [leniency] or concessions," he added.

"The PTI founder is the leader of this peace caravan. These are political cases, they have no truth. We reject all these trials as political, which are being used for political purposes. We will fight for our right," Dr Awan told the reporters.

The PTI leaders fired a broadside against the government, accusing it of being incompetent and plummeting economic growth. The GDP growth rate in the country sank after the end of the PTI government," said Omar Ayub. "This is the regime of duffers," he charged.

Faraz has said that parliament had become a rubber stamp and "I don't think there is any point in staying in this parliament". He added that this "incompetent government is bringing a new mini-budget, which will make" everyone cry.

There are protests all over the country, we have also protested vigorously in parliament. People are fleeing the country, unemployment is increasing, poverty is increasing," he said. "Because of political instability in the country, no business is being conducted in Pakistan."