Imran Khan’s arrest is still under controversy and on August 5, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) planned a sit-in all across the country. The announcement was made in a live press conference in Islamabad having the main PTI leadership such as Opposition leader Omar Ayub, former national assembly speaker Asad Qaiser and Sheikh Waqas Akram.
Federal PTI leaders reported the government as being prejudicing their members following a Supreme Court verdict of reserved seats and sought the Supreme Court’s assistance therein. This irate was expressed towards PM Shehbaz Sharif and his niece Maryam Nawaz asserting they are forcing the military into political positions that are harming the institution.
Omar Ayub condemned the government strategy, saying that the PTI MNAs are being arrested and presented before NAB. He questioned, challenged its position on Form 47, and demanded the conduct of fresh polls. Ayub also claimed that intelligence agencies of the country particularly the ISI are involved in meddling in the electoral rights and in forcing the PTI members to go into hiding. He jolted that he was uncertain if even the mother of PTI MNA Sheikh Waqas Akram had not been proceeded against in court.
Ex-Speaker Asad Qaiser criticized the action against the Punjab PTI members and said that the further strategy regarding the August 5 demonstration would be decided in a core committee meeting. He encouraged the public to demonstrate against inflation as well as the unlawful detention of Imran Khan. Qaiser also endorses Jamaat-e-Islami’s demand to reconsiderіп he also opposes the current government policy on these issues and in particular, agreements with Independent Power Producers (IPPs) due to their impact on the poor consumers’ budgets.
Sheikh Waqas Akram clearly stated that those who are working against PTI should remember that the PML-N government is not everlasting. He condemned the economic measure of the current government that was in power and said that PTI workers will not allow section 144 restriction to stop them.
During the protest, the PTI leaders focused particularly on their capability of mobilizing people on 5th August and urged the other political parties to come forward against a government they declared unlawful and tyrannical.