Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has accused the country’s current government for economic and political turmoil in Pakistan, stressing that Shehbaz Sharif-led regime was unbothered about the interests of the state but instead focused on having its grip on power while paying no attention to the global warnings, Dawn reported.
In a statement, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram criticised the government for its 300 per cent increase in the salaries of parlimantarians to protect them from inflation while burdening ordinary people through relentless rise in gas prices and petroleum products. He called the rise in POL and LPG as the sequel to the government’s anti-poor policies that would further exacerbate their miseries.
He accused Pakistan government of making tall claims of economic turnaround while middle class and the poor were struggling to make ends meet, rejecting the claims of economic recovery. He said that Pakistani lawmakers were compensated through unprecedented rise in the salaries at the expense of the poor, according to Dawn report.
Sheikh Waqqas Akram slammed the Pakistan government for its continued policies, acts, political vendettas against leaders of PTI and the anti-press freedom controversial constitutional tweaks. He claimed that the government sought to continue its rule through anti-poor policies along with reign of terror despite the European Union’s warning about Pakistan’s GSP plus status.
He accused the government of ignoring EU’s warning to Pakistan telling it not to take its GSP plus status for granted. He recalled that EU envoy Olof Skoog asked the Pakistani government that military courts should not be used to pursue cases against civilians, in addition to opposing the amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) to restrict press freedom, Dawn reported.
Sheikh Waqqas Akram called on the Pakistan government to immediately halt the “ongoing human rights violations”, as the EU team was scheduled to visit Pakistan in June for the upcoming GSP plus monitoring mission. He said that Skoog told Pakistan that the next round of the scheme was solely based upon Pakistan’s compliance with the various international obligations.
About PTI founder Imran Khan’s letter to the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Sheikh Waqqas Akram said that PTI was pursuing strategies and would use all options to get justice and steer Pakistan out of the problems. He expressed hope that CJP would take action to address their concerns, including the November 26 crackdown at D-Chowk, to end political uncertainty in Pakistan.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote a 349-page letter to Pakistan’s Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Aminuddin on issues related to human rights violations, electoral fraud, and the arrests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers, The Express Tribune reported.
The letter includes reports regarding alleged election rigging, human rights violations, and PTI members’ arrests, particularly around November 26, 2024. Khan said that a large number of PTI workers were arrested between November 24-27 last year.
He also claimed that hospital records were sealed and later changes were made to manipulate facts.In the letter, Khan slammed the judiciary for failing to provide justice despite repeated petitions against election fraud and human rights violations happening in Pakistan over the past 18 months. According to him, PTI workers faced extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances.
PTI founder Imran Khan also mentioned his arrest on May 9, 2023, stating that he was unlawfully arrested from the Islamabad High Court premises. He accused the authorities of intentionally showing his arrest on television and social media to provoke public outrage.
