LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday staged a massive protest demonstration in front of the Punjab Assembly to voice its anguish against the government plan to privatise the PIA, rampant corruption, and power and gas loadshedding.

Gathering on The Mall on the call of party chairman Imran Khan, a large number of PTI activists and admirers and people from various callings lent the familiar touch to the protest by invoking “Go Nawaz Go” and other slogans.

Leading the demonstration were Chaudhry Sarwar, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Shafqat Mahmood, Waleed Iqbal and others. All of them tried their best to galvanise the activists who shouted anti-govt slogans.

Demo leaves motorists high and dry

The protesters expressed solidarity with the PIA employees and pledged that the PTI would stand by them for resolution of their genuine issues. The banners and placards they had held were emblazoned with anti-government inscriptions.

Speaking on the occasion, former PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry averred the party would continue to protest till the PML-N government rolled back. He hit out at Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed for speaking against the PTI leadership.

He said people’s lives had gone miserable since the PML-N came into power and that the masses wanted to get rid of the rulers.

“They don’t need Orange Train and Metro bus but a decent life including a square meal, safe drinking water, education and health facilities as well as jobs,” he added.

The PTI, Mr Chaudhry said, was representative of the poor and oppressed segments of society and fighting for their rights inside and outside assemblies. He said the party would not let the government privatise the PIA and demanded further cut in petroleum prices in line with the price reductions in the international market.

Former PTI Punjab organiser Chaudhry Sarwar said the rulers were plundering the country, making people suffer. He said the government was focusing more on building bridges and metro buses but was not ready to invest in health, education and other basic facilities for human development.

As for the deteriorating condition of national institutions, Mr Sarwar said it was strange that the incumbent rulers’ own businesses were flourishing but they were unable to turn around the state enterprises.

Dr Yasmin Rashid, former PTI Punjab general secretary who organised the protest, said the PML-N government had repeated the Model Town tragedy while handling the PIA employees’ strike. She said the privatisation, if needed, must be planned and executed in a transparent manner and by taking the stakeholders into confidence besides discussing the subject in the National Assembly. The government must not take abrupt decisions under the IMF pressure, she said.

She also demanded that the government cut fuel prices in line with the situation in the international market. She also stressed that LNG import process be made transparent.

Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed said the rulers had framed anti-people policies by constructing the Orange Line train and were now trying to privatise the national flag carrier. He demanded that the government review its policies in the best interest of people.

TRAFFIC MESS: It was another day of traffic snarl-up on The Mall and alternatives routes.

Although educational institutions were closed on Saturday, people stuck in queues for hours.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2016