RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Sunday warned the government of civil disobedience movement if the recent surge in petroleum prices was not withdrawn.
He was addressing a PTI protest demonstration at Banni Chowk here on Sunday.
The rally was organised to protest the recent increase in petroleum prices, US drone attacks, corruption in government sector, Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST), gas and electricity loadshedding, unemployment and deteriorating law and order situation in the country.
The atmosphere was quite charged from the very beginning as according to PTI Rawalpindi chapter, the Punjab government and the city administration tried their best to block their demonstration.
According to official figures provided by the police, the number of protesters was over 700, however one could safely put the figure at over a thousand.
Besides PTI chief’s media adviser Syed Zahid Kazmi, other leaders including Faizul Hassan Chohan, Ijaz Khan Jazzi, Sadaqat Abbasi, women wing’s president Fouzia Kasuri, party workers, traders, women and children participated in the demonstration.
Carrying party flags, banners and placards, the enraged protesters chanted slogans against President Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif for their failure to redress the problems of the masses.
Addressing the party workers, Imran Khan lashed out at the government for raising prices of petroleum products and tariffs of electricity and gas.
He demanded of the PPP and PML-N leadership to bring their wealth from foreign bank accounts to Pakistan.
“Those politicians whose assets are in foreign banks should not be allowed to take part in Pakistani politics until they bring all their money back to the country,” he said.
“In Waziristan, US drones are firing missiles killing innocent tribal people who are being portrayed as Taliban by the American government to the US people. If the US people come to know that those being killed in drone strikes are actually innocent tribesmen, they would turn violent and protest more severely in America,” he said.
The PTI chief said rich people were not paying taxes, causing unnecessary burden on the poor in shape of price hike. He alleged that Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) was involved in massive corruption.
“If the government controls corruption in the FBR, the country would earn profit of Rs700 billion annually,” he said.
Criticising the policies of Nawaz Sharif, Mr Khan said N-League had been playing the role of friendly opposition.
“Nawaz and Zardari fight each other in front of the masses but behind the curtain both are friends,” he added.
He said the government should impose taxes on the rich and the politicians instead of the poor people.
“This time 61 per cent politicians are not paying taxes, which speak volumes about the negligence of the government,” he added.
“How much tax did Nawaz Sharif pay,” asked a smiling Imran Khan. Rs5,000 came the reply from the protesters. On this Imran replied Nawaz had to pay a tax of Rs2 million this year.
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