LAHORE: Announcing a major protest rally after Eid against the PTI leadership for subverting the Constitution, breaking laws and causing political uncertainty, the traders, shopkeepers and retail and wholesale businesses have sought arrest of the former prime minister Imran Khan and his cabinet members for leading the country into a blind alley through his politics of hate.

“It is surprising that he (Imran Khan) and his companions, despite the emergence of the new government as a result of the no-confidence motion, are openly breaking laws, subverting the Constitution and making lives of the poor more miserable. They are fearlessly trying to destabilise the country, causing a negative impact on our businesses that have already been damaged by the PTI government,” All Pakistan Anjuman Tajiran (APAT) General Secretary Naeem Mir lamented during his talk to Dawn after holding a press conference here on Thursday.

“Since the businesses cannot operate or grow in such a bad situation, we would request the government and others concerned to arrest Imran Khan and his companions (ex-ministers) under the Article-6 to enable the business community to run their businesses,” Mr Mir demanded.

Announce holding protest outside ex-PM’s Zaman Park residence

Terming the PTI leaders criminals, he said they destroyed the economy, weakened the institutions and committed corruption and now they had again started crushing businesses by staging protests.

“We condemn Imran Khan for doing this. And soon after Eid, the traders across the country would gather in Lahore and stage a massive protest outside Imran’s residence in Zaman Park,” he declared.

Earlier, addressing a press conference along with the APAT office-bearers, Mr Mir said since Imran and the PTI leaders were taking the country toward instability, the economy, which was improving after the success of no-confidence motion, had again started taking a nosedive.

“After being ousted from power, he (Imran Khan) is leading a campaign under a well-conceived conspiracy against the institutions,” Mir said.

While urging the traders to thwart Imran Khan’s efforts to destablise the country, he also requested the state institutions to ensure transfer of power in Punjab in accordance with the constitution and law.

He said the traders were already fed up with Mr Khan’s economic animosity and now he wanted to drown the rest of the economy.

“We will not allow Imran Khan’s bullying and coercion to continue. If this gang does not mend its ways, we would have no option but to start a protest , across the country, including a major one at Zaman Park,” Mir warned.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2022