TAXILA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) central leader Syed Zulfi Bukhari has said the party chairman, Imran Khan’s decision of dissolving assemblies to save the country from prevalent political and economic imbroglio was a bold one.

Mr Bukhari was addressing participants of the ‘Election Karao Mulk Bachao’ rally, taken out by supporters and workers of the party against inflation. Participants put forth their demand for the government to conduct early elections in Fatehjang on Sunday.

Protesters carried placards and chanted slogans against the federal government and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. They demanded early elections of the national and provincial assemblies on the same day.

Among others, former member of provincial assembly (MPA) Sardar Mohammad Ali, Naveed Malik, Haji Fazal, Aiqib Khan and a large number of PTI workers were present on the occasion. Mr Zulfi said that the country is on the brink of ruin because of the imported government’s incompetence, adding that, “we must rid the country of this foreign agenda”.

Those asking for elections are now running from their stance, he claimed, adding that after dissolution of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) assemblies, the party would entirely be focused on sending the coalition federal government home. “The cards they are playing are turning against them and benefitting the PTI,” he said.

“We want the federal government to sit with us and discuss a constitutional framework for the general election. Pakistan was facing an unprecedented economic crisis and it could only be fixed by ensuring that there was economic stability in the country.

“We ask the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold elections before Ramazan and elections in Punjab and KP should be held within 90 days. If the federal government was dissolved then early general elections should be held before Ramadan, as well,” he added.

He said that the National Assembly (NA) speaker has accepted resignations of PTI lawmakers, fearing the vote of confidence against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He accused the government of targeting Imran Khan and PTI for the last nine months to hide their incompetence and hypocrisy.

“On the contrary, they are being subjected to reprisals, they are being thrown in jails and being dragged to courts,” Mr Zulfi said, adding that our social media workers are being harassed.

He said that we are bearing all these hardships for the sake of the country and the nation. At present, inflation is at 25pc and if the imported government continues to cling to power, then according to the terms of the IMF, inflation will go up to 40pc.

Published in Dawn, January 23th, 2023