Govt not to allow PTI any space to hurt economy

• Govt cannot afford to give free hand to PTI: Sanaullah.
• He says PTI has repeatedly tried to hurt economy for pol gains.
• PTI knows if govt succeeds they will have nothing to sell.
  

ISLAMABAD: Rana Sanaullah Khan, PM Shehbaz Sharif's Adviser on Political and Public Affairs, has said the government has decided not to allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) any space for its negative politics of targeting the country’s economy for political gains.

Talking to The News on Saturday, the prime minister’s adviser and key PMLN leader said that in view of the PTI’s past record, the government cannot afford to give a free hand to the PTI. He was asked about the reasons for government restrictions on PTI’s public rallies, meetings and demonstrations.

PM Shehbaz's adviser reminded that the PTI has been repeatedly trying to hurt the country’s economy in order to target the government for its political gains. "We cannot allow this," he said, adding that there was no room for negative politics and the government cannot compromise on the issue of revival of the country’s economy.

Sanaullah hoped that the political situation would improve in the next few months. He was sure that the budget will smoothly pass. He said the revival of country’s economy was the topmost priority of the government.

About the PTI politics, Sana explained that the political party was trying to hurt the economy for its political gains. The PTI, he said, knows well that if the present government succeeds in getting the country out of the present economic crisis and leads the nation to prosperity, the PTI will have nothing to sell to the people. 

The PTI had announced for Friday (June 21) protest rallies in different parts of the country for the release of its incarcerated leader Imran Khan. 

However, the party faced administrative restrictions, including arrests in Islamabad and parts of Punjab. The Islamabad administration and Punjab government had imposed Section 144 of CrPC banning rallies and sit-ins for seven days. Police, according to media reports, also conducted raids on party leaders’ houses.

The PTI spokesman condemned the government for this and said, “The government has been violating the Constitution for the last two years and there is a law of jungle in Pakistan. There cannot be any excuse for keeping Khan behind the bars in false and fabricated cases. It is the right of the people to protest and the party had decided to hold peaceful protests.”

Recently, PML-N senior leader and federal minister Ahsan Iqbal had indicated the government’s intention to keep Imran Khan in jail for five years. 

According to a newspaper story, Iqbal said, "People come to us and tell us if Pakistan has to progress, then Imran Khan will have to be kept in jail for five years." 

Ahsan added if Khan came out of jail, there would be again sit-ins and fights and the country could not afford this.

Originally published in The News