ISLAMABAD: Strongly reacting to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s “threat” that five members’ provincial assembly of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) could disappear ahead of chief minister Punjab’s election on July 22, Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said that over five PML-N MNAs were in contact with his party.

Speaking at a presser, Fawad, who is senior PTI vice president, said once the PTI formed government in Punjab, it might impose a ban on Sanaullah and Atta Tarar’s – Punjab Home Minister – entry into Punjab.

Fawad urged Punjab Assembly deputy speaker, who will also be the presiding officer of the crucial session, to take notice of the interior minister’s July 18 statement and bar him from entering Punjab.

He claimed that the PTI would regain government in Punjab on July 22, adding a ban on people such as Rana Sanaullah and Atta Tarar was a must because they were like a “cancer” for Punjab.

Referring to the number game in the National Assembly, the PTI leader said the federal government was “on a ventilator”, adding they could send the coalition government packing whenever they wanted.

Fawad said they could not bring stability to the market despite inking a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the dollar further climbed by Rs10.

“There would have been political and economic stability in the country if Imran Khan’s demand for general elections was accepted,” he added.

He urged the government to show maturity and take up the matter of the election framework matter during today’s meeting of the coalition parties and heads of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Lahore.

He said PTI was ready for talks with the government if Shehbaz Sharif announced the date for the general elections.

Following the thumping defeat in the by-polls in the province, CM Hamza Shehbaz should resign, he added.

He also berated the government for making false cases against the PTI leadership – during the events leading up to the Azadi March on May 25 and during Punjab by-polls.

“The fascist regime made a false sectarian case against Zulfi Bukhari and tried to arrest him; attempted to arrest a decent man, Shibli Faraz; also arrested Shahbaz Gill, where he was not even given water for over four hours,” he lamented.

Fawad said Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja should step down as he had little time left or he would be kicked out eventually.

He said Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should be reconstituted and new officials, who had the support of all the political parties, should be brought in.

He demanded that an early election be held in the country, doubling down on his party and the PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s call.

In a scathing attack on Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, the PTI leader demanded the province’s top official resign from office in line with political traditions.

“He [Hamza Shehbaz] should be ashamed of himself. His party suffered a humiliating defeat, even Maryam Nawaz and Malik Ahmad Khan accepted it. He should have tendered his resignation immediately after it,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022