No way except implementation of Constitution: Fawad on curbing ongoing political crisis

• Fawad claims 2,000 people were arrested ahead of Lahore jalsa.
• "Entire city was blocked with containers," politician says in presser.
• "Coming week will be turning point in Pakistan’s history," Asad asserts.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry Sunday insisted there is no way in Pakistan except implementing the Constitution while commenting on the ongoing political crisis in the country.

The PTI leader’s comments came during a press conference at the Lahore Press Club where the party’s leadership spoke about their workers being arrested ahead of yesterday’s gathering at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan.

He added that notices are being handed out by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE).

Fawad, flanked by PTI’s Secretary General Asad Umar, claimed that 2,000 people were arrested in the ongoing wave of arrests of his party’s workers. “People are being picked and rendered missing from Lahore. Azhar Mashwani went missing. It has been three days.”

The politician asserted that there is no room for enforced disappearances in Pakistan.

Commenting on the “government’s steps to curtail the PTI’s power show” a day earlier, the PTI stalwart added that the “entire city was blocked with containers”.

“The entry and exit routes of Lahore were closed,” he said.

A day ago, PTI Chairman Imran Khan praised his party's supporters for showing up at the rally's venue Minar-e-Pakistan, saying that despite all kinds of obstacles, people, in large numbers, arrived to attend their rally.

"Those in power must know that [blocking the roads and pathways with shipping] containers cannot stop people who want true independence," he explained, adding that fear was spread to frustrate the public meeting.

Fawad further alleged that the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government — the ruling coalition of 13 political parties — will have Pakistan added to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) list again.

Pakistan was, in October last year, removed from the grey list of the Paris-based inter-governmental body. Following its removal, the country — which was put on the list of untrustworthy jurisdictions in June 2018 because of "strategic counter-terrorist financing-related deficiencies” — is no longer subject to its increased monitoring process.

During the presser, the former information minister accused Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah of “operating a gang” while questioning him about his politics.

Sharing his opinion regarding the letter written by President Arif Alvi to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the party’s senior vice-president said: “Not a single answer has been given to the question raised by the president.”

The president, on Friday, wrote a letter to PM Shehbaz urging him to ensure the implementation of the Supreme Court’s orders in relation to the general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The premier, in his response, wrote to President Alvi that his letter read like a PTI press release which is "blatantly partisan in nature" and supports the Imran Khan-led party's "one-sided and anti-government" views.

Fawad, meanwhile, said that all eyes are now on the country’s top court. He added that the government is now doing politics based on fear. “We are asking you to do your own politics and let us do ours too.”

Asad Umar, on the other hand, claimed that the people of Lahore came out despite fear, arrests and containers placed across the city.

“The coming week will be turning point in Pakistan’s history,” the PTI leader said.

Slamming the government for mishandling the country’s economy and the nation’s sufferings which have followed, Umar said that people are losing their lives while queueing up to get flour.

He warned the government regarding the people’s reaction to their performance. “They know what people will do to them.”