Smooth talk: ‘PTI believes in power of the people, not guns’

“Whenever someone is attacked during PTI protests, you will see that PTI workers never carry weapons," says Qureshi

MULTAN:

“The government will fail in its efforts to stop Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) from holding peaceful protests,” PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Saturday. He was talking to newsmen at Multan airport. “If PTI can shut down Karachi, one of the most volatile cities in the country, you can be sure that it can bring the entire country to a halt,” he said.

“Whenever someone has been attacked during PTI’s protests, you will see that PTI workers never carry weapons. We believe in power of people, not guns,” he said.

Qureshi said the PTI was not against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

“We are fighting corrupt politicians. The country is being ruled by tyrants, not democrats,” he said.

Commenting on talks with the government, he said party chairman Imran Khan believed that the government was not serious about negotiations. He said all four provincial heads of the Election Commission of Pakistan must resign.

He said by reducing fuel prices and electricity tariffs, the government had shown that it was under pressure from Imran Khan and the PTI. He warned the government against resorting to violence during PTI’s protest in Lahore on Monday.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 14^th, 2014.