TAXILA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi after his release from Attock jail on Saturday said the dawn of a new political and democratic era was not far and the nation would get rid of those who kept the country hostage for over 75 years.

Addressing party workers after his release from the jail where he was detained during the “Jail Bharo Tehreek” of the PTI, Mr Qureshi said he and his family will never betray Imran Khan despite “threats of arrest and political victimisation for changing loyalty”.

A large number of party workers and office-bearers including his son Zain Qureshi, PTI district Attock president Qazi Ahmed Akbar, former provincial minister Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari, Asim Nawaz, ex-MPA Sardar Mohammad Ali Khan and Member Cantonment Board Attock Syed Mehdi Shah were present on the occasion.

The former foreign minister challenged PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to come back and face the wrath of the public who were facing all-time high inflation.

He said Imran Khan had the ability to steer the country from the prevailing crises by winning the forthcoming elections with an overwhelming majority.

He said the “imported” alliance government led by the PML-N dragged the country to the verge of collapse besides creating economic issues for the people.

“We have to make a nation and not plan to win forthcoming general elections.” He criticised the policies of the government, saying the rulers looted the people of the country for their personal gains and were manipulating them to get the elections delayed through political engineering as they were afraid of their defeat.

He stressed the caretaker set up to conduct the elections within 90 days and the recent order of the Supreme Court.

It may be noted that Mr Qureshi was detained in Attock jail for 30 days under section 3(1) of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960 issued by the deputy commissioner of Lahore.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2023