LAHORE: The opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, has said that the Pakistan Thereek-e-Insaf (PTI) negotiation committee’s first demand is the release of its founding chairman, Imran Khan.

While addressing a press conference here on Monday, he averred that ongoing discussions with the federal government were motivated by a desire to ensure the effective functioning of the country’s system. However, he questioned the sincerity of the dialogues with the government, saying it was impossible to engage in meaningful conversation while atrocities were being committed in Punjab, adding that the police were harassing the PTI workers, with their homes being subjected to raids. “On the one side, there was negotiation and, on the other hand, the PTI and its workers were being tortured and kidnapped. Moreover, their workers were physically tortured, and the house of their MPA Qazi Akbar was demolished four times,” he added.

“For the past one and half years, the performance of the imposed government has been nothing but oppressing the jailed founding chairman, his wife Bushra Bibi and their family,” he said, adding that Bushra Bibi has been nominated in 302 cases.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024