MARDAN: Senior Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader and Member of the National Assembly Mohammad Atif Khan has supported the call for a dialogue between his party and rival political parties for the country’s benefit.

Mr Khan told reporters at his residence here on Wednesday that the PTI believed in resolving issues through political dialogue.

“All parties have their own election manifestos and political agendas, but they should speak to each other for the sake of the country. There is nothing wrong in the PTI holding talks with other parties for the country’s benefit,” he said.

The PTI leader said that the PML-N-led federal government was one of the weakest in the country’s history with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif without authority.

Insists Shehbaz govt ‘weakest’ in country’s history

He insisted that the prime minister couldn’t control both interior and finance ministers.

“Both[interior and finance]ministers don’t listen to the prime minister,” he claimed.

Mr Khan said that PM Shehbaz Sharif’s government would fall for unnecessarily picking fights with the judiciary and media.

He claimed that six Islamabad High Court judges had formally complained to authorities that they’re pressured to give decisions against PTI founder Imran Khan and other activists.

About the proposed demonstrations in the province for the release of the party leader, the PTI MNA said that the protest option won’t work until the party began agitation from the Punjab province.

“Rallies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the release of Imran Khan won’t succeed. Instead, we should launch our protest movement from Punjab to deliver success,” he said.

Mr Khan claimed that there was a Martial Law like situation across Punjab as Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz considered the province to be its own state.

“Maryam is the mahrani [empress] of her so-called state,” he said.

The PTI leader claimed that there was a complete ban on the holding of street protests in the Punjab province under the PML-N government.

He also criticised the Punjab government for legislating against journalists,insistingthat the move is meant to control media in the province.

Mr Khan said that the PML-N’s government in the centre was trying to create problems for the PTI’s government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but all such bids would fail.

“Despite of all these challenges, our [Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s] government in KP will live up to the expectations of the residents by ensuring their development,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2024