Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said that the PML-N government is ready to talk to Imran Khan and find a better way to defuse the political tension. He was chairing a meeting on Monday to discuss the administrative steps taken for controlling the mob on Yaum-e-Shuhada and measures for protection of life and property of citizens during long marches on August 14, sources said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told the participants that the only way forward for Pakistan was through democracy and categorically stated that no one will be allowed to sabotage the government's development agenda, sources said. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Law Minister Rana Mashhood and a number of other party members were in attendance besides, a good number of PML-N leaders, federal and Punjab ministers. Inspector General Punjab Police and the province home secretary briefed the participants of the meeting about the administrative steps taken for handing the Yaum-e-Shuhada at Model Town.
The meeting also discussed the options at hand to convince Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) to abandon the idea of the 'Azadi' march. Further, the options regarding the consequences of the march reaching the capital on August 14 were also discussed on the occasion. After the meeting, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed and Federal Minister for Planning and Development Chaudhry Ahsan Iqbal held a press conference.
Speaking on the occasion, Pervaiz Rashid said the former spy-master was inciting Imran Khan to hold long march. He said Khan has yet given no programme as how he will materialise his march. There is no idea about the boarding and lodging of the participants of the long march, he said, questioning about the fate of the participants of the march when Khan would go to his Bani Gala palace and few of his rich friends to Sareena hotel. As a matter of fact, he said, Khan was poised to degrade Pakistan army for his defiance to the Zarb-e-Azb Operation. He criticised Khan for levelling allegations without proof, which tantamount to throwing stones at others while sitting in the glasshouse.
He also took strong exception of Dr Qadri's approach and expressed his wonders about the mindset of his followers. On this occasion, Pervaiz Rasheed reminded Imran Khan of the intra-party report prepared by Tasneem Qureshi. He said that Imran Khan tries to hide it deliberately. He advised Imran Khan to study Tasneem Qureshi's report. PTI's fact-finding report says that tickets were sold for money by certain PTI leaders.
Pervez Rasheed said that a former spy-master has met Imran Khan according to media reports. He alleged that the same spy-master was involved in promotion of PTI earlier in 2011. Pervez Rasheed alleged that Imran Khan has been taking U-turns on rigging for the last fourteen months. "Why does Imran Khan not tell that Secretary Health was brother of NA-120 Dr Yasmeen Rashid", questioned Rasheed. "Imran Khan is also not mentioning that his advisor Tariq Pervez was made the Interior Minister", he added.
Ahsan Iqbal said on the occasion that all the election results were in accordance with the hopes of the people of Pakistan. Responding to a question, Ahsan said that Tahirul Qadri has ordered to kill all ministers and his own workers if they return without revolution. He asked PTI workers to be weary of people like Dr Tahirul Qadri. No such orders had ever passed by Mussolini and Hitler in the past, he added. Ahsan also requested all the PML-N workers to remain calm and avoid to get provoked by a few thousand people.