— Fawad announces start of a ‘movement’ from Lahore that will culminate in a ‘historic long march’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Sunday said the opposition party has a “strategy” in place if negotiations with the government to end an impasse over elections in Punjab failed.
In a tweet, Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of the party, emphasised that while the party of former prime minister Imran Khan wanted successful talks, it will not remain silent if the Constitution was disregarded and the public was treated as “insects.”
Calling on the people to prepare for a “movement,” Chaudhry announced that power shows will be held in Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar, beginning from the capital of Punjab on Monday and culminating in a “historic long march.”
تحریک انصاف مذاکرات کی کامیابی چاہتی ہے لیکن ناکامی کی صورت میں حکمت عملی مرتب کرلی ہے، یہ نہیں ہو سکتا کہ آئین کو ردی کا ٹکڑا اور عوام کو کیڑے مکوڑے سمجھ لیا جائے اور تحریک انصاف خاموش بیٹھ جائے مذاکرات کی ناکامی کی صورت میں عوام بڑی تحریک کیلئے تیار ہو جائیں، تحریک کا آغاز کل…
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 30, 2023
Talks between the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition and the opposition, facilitated by the Supreme Court, began Thursday and have been seen as a breakthrough in the months-long deadlock on elections.
Presenting its demands during successive sessions, PTI has called for the speedy dissolution of all parliaments and elections no later than August. The party also said that the delay to the election in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be granted legal cover through a constitutional amendment and sought the return of its resigned MPs to the National Assembly to achieve this.
In the second round, the government presented its own proposals, reportedly to conduct polls in September to allow for the presentation of the upcoming fiscal year’s budget in June.
The second round concluded on Friday with both sides agreeing to consult with their respective leaderships before re-convening for a final session on Tuesday.
Addressing party workers and supporters on Saturday night, Khan said his party was willing to discuss the election date only after the dissolution of the National Assembly before May 14. This deadline is in accordance with the April 4 order of the Supreme Court regarding elections in Punjab.
He said if the demand for the dissolution of the National Assembly before May 14 is not met, the PTI will proceed with the general election in Punjab as per the court judgement.
Khan also said the PTI will approach the apex court for the earliest possible general election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as the constitutional timeframe of 90 days has already elapsed.
Warning the military, he noted the people of Pakistan are waiting for elections and will come out for peaceful protests under the banner of the PTI. If elections are denied, the situation may worsen to a point worse than crises-hit Sri Lanka.
