Stop crackdown against PTI, PAT workers: opposition urges government to adopt democratic attitude

The opposition in the National Assembly on Thursday criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government for a crackdown against the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and called for a political solution to the issues instead of confrontation.
The opposition members said that the PML-N government should adopt a democratic attitude and demonstrate patience to defuse the situation in prevailing political circumstances. Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah said while speaking on a point of order that the government should adopt a democratic attitude and stop a crackdown against the workers of the PTI and PAT. He said that the PML-N government had started the crackdown against the motorcyclists in Lahore. He asked why the government was frightened by the "Azadi March" called by the PTI and "Revolutionary March" by the PAT.
He said that 10 million motorcyclists were facing problems due to the rally of 100,000 motorcyclists. He said that the government was also closing petrol pumps on August 13, 2014. He said that the government should demonstrate sanity and try to improve the political situation. PTI leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi strongly condemned the PML-N government for arresting the party workers and said that the country was passing through an extraordinary situation. He alleged that the arrests of political workers were being made in Multan, Layyah and Attock. He said that the noose around PAT Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri was being tightened and party workers were being arrested which was undemocratic. He said that he always worked for supremacy of the Parliament. He said that the Parliament was our last shelter and they must protect it.
Ghulam Sarwar Khan of the PTI claimed that the PML-N government was torturing the party workers and fake cases were being registered against them. He said that the owners of petrol pumps, transports and even sound system shops were being harassed. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Farooq Sattar stressed the need for avoiding confrontation and resolving the issues in a democratic way. He said that a positive result could not be found through confrontation in the past. He said that the government was being pushed against the wall.
Sher Akbar Khan of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) criticised the government's policies in tackling the prevailing political situation. He said that the government could not control the situation with the arrest of political workers. He said that the government should implement its commitment made with the people before the elections. "We want the government to complete its term. The government should also consider the demand of the PTI for recounting the votes in four constituencies," he said.
Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed claimed that the government itself created the prevailing political situation. He said that all the ways that led to Dr Tahirul Qadir's house had been closed while the police were seizing motorcycles in Rawalpindi. He said that the situation would further worsen if the government continued the crackdown against the political workers.
Sher Akbar Khan, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Sarwar Khan also criticised the government's policies to tackle the prevailing political situation. Replying to points raised by opposition members, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed said it was the responsibility of the government to protect life and property of the people.