Political response: PTI to map out future strategy on Monday

Party chief to attend presidential address, plans protest action at budget session.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has called its parliamentary committee meeting on Monday to chalk out its strategy on the president’s address to the joint session of parliament and the upcoming budget speech.

“Our party will hold a meeting to formulate a strategy on the upcoming budget and to discuss the first address to the joint sitting of Parliament by the incumbent president,” said Dr Shireen Mazari, the party’s information secretary.

“There are a score of issues to be discussed in the meeting, including the new budget and reviewing election issues with particular reference to PTI’s recent triumph in Pindi Bhattian,” said Mazari.

She said PTI chief, Imran Khan, who was on a week-long trip to the United Kingdom, will attend the joint session and then preside over the party meeting to frame the future line of action over key policy issues.

“We will listen to the presidential address and then respond accordingly”, she added.

In its latest challenge to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), PTI intends to create an uproar during the budget session, criticising the government over load-shedding, inflation and rising unemployment in the country.

During Monday’s meeting, PTI leaders are expected to brief Imran on the recent election victory in Pindi Bhattian, where the PML-N candidate was defeated.

In addition, Rizwan Chaudhry, an official of PTI media cell, said that the meeting will also discuss the issue of rigging during last year’s election and the party’s anti-rigging rally slated for June 7, in Sialkot.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2014.