ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) senior leadership has welcomed the ‘encouraging statement’ by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leadership on conduct of immediate and fair elections and provision of level-playing fields for all political parties in the upcoming elections, Pakistan Today has learnt reliably.
In a special sitting of the party’s political committee held virtually, a PTI source told Pakistan Today, the PTI leadership decided to start making contacts with like-minded political parties including the PPP, especially to evolve consensus on demands of fair-play and holding of elections at the earliest.
The source said that the political committee lauded PPP’s encouraging statements about holding of fair elections and provision of level playing fields in the upcoming elections and to evolve a joint stance on these issues.
The source said that the PTI would make formal contacts with various political parties next week to evolve consensus on major political issues. However, the source said, the major hurdle is fear that how the party leaders would avoid arrest if they surface and may be arrested.
Meanwhile, the party spokesman has strongly condemned the ongoing state coercive tactics and illegal, unconstitutional and immoral crackdown against PTI social media workers to silence the sane dissenting voices in order to force them to promote a the sate-mandated particular narrative.
PTI spokesperson expressed shock over the state ongoing countrywide crackdown against social media workers after imposing strict curbs on media and press and criminalizing criticism and dissent.
He demanded that the Supreme Court (SC) should protect the basic constitutional rights of the citizens and immediately counter the shameful state invasion against the citizens, especially the educated youth.
The state machinery, taking the constitution and law in total disregard, has become the biggest threat to the constitution in the country.
PTI spokesperson said that Pakistan has been practically put under the grip of “martial law plus” as there was no regard for the constitution, law, morality and social rules.
He pointed out that the state was busy in violating all basic constitutional rights without fear of accountability, including the sanctity of the person, security of life and property, freedom of expression and communication, participation in peaceful political activities, fair trial, access to justice and the right to vote.
PTI spokesperson went on to say that after imprisoning of the most of the PTI leadership including its Chairman Imran Khan, and thousands of innocent workers, the state started targeting now the social media workers to muzzle the dissenting voices.
He highlighted that the state power was unleashed to suppress criticism and dissent after wasting over Rs. 13.50 billion on the propaganda. PTI spokesperson said that the process to force the youth to promote a particular narrative was intensified in the wake of total blackout of the law against Pakistan’s most popular political party, harassment of youth coupled with their forcibly arrest or abduction.
He lamented that the state was setting up shameful and cowardly tradition of blackmailing social media workers by detaining their families, relatives and forcing them to give up using social media.
PTI spokesperson went on to say that rumour mills were being run with the nation’s tax money, while the worst propaganda campaigns were being launched against the citizens who dared to disagree with the government’s flawed policies.
He pointed out that the state resources and patronage have been provided for complete monopoly and control over the media of the political groups of criminals with the approval of the state ahead of the general elections.
PTI spokesperson stated that after Pemra, FIA has also been tasked to suppress criticism and dissent by force, while the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was observing shameless silence in this regard.
However, he made it clear that no amount of coercion, force and fascism can compel the citizens, especially the youth, to believe in the dictatorship or its narratives, adding that despite all the state oppression, the youth would not give up their right to bring the truth before the nation.
PTI spokesperson expressed solidarity with the social media workers by demanding an immediate end to the series of abuses by the state.
