Govt should let PTI record protest says Wattoo

Wattoo said PAT workers had been protesting in reaction to the June 17 police operation in Model Town.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Punjab chapter president Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo on Sunday asked the government to let the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf hold its Azadi March in Islamabad on August 14.

“It is the responsibility of the PTI leadership to ensure that the rally is peaceful. Any unrest can send the country into crisis,” Wattoo said in a statement.

He said PTI chairman Imran Khan was a leader of national stature and that he should stand up to the forces harming democracy. He said the people of Pakistan had rendered a lot of sacrifices for democracy.

Wattoo said Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers had been protesting in reaction to the June 17 police operation in Model Town.

“The civil society has rejected the criminal decision of using force to remove barriers in front of PAT chief Tahirul Qadri’s residence. It speaks volumes of the lack of administrative acumen of the government,” the PPP leader said.

He said areas in and around Model Town were under siege as the government had placed containers in the streets. “They should not have taken law into their own hands.”

He condoled with the families of the slain police officials. He expressed sympathy with the injured policemen. He said the PPP and its leadership was committed to the continuity of democracy.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th,2014.