ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan on Saturday strongly criticised the government for a lack of commitment to investigating election-related issues and dismissing the significance of a resolution adopted by the US House of Representatives.
In a statement issued here, Barrister Gohar emphasized that the opposition plays a crucial role in any democracy, a role he believes is being undermined by the current form 47 government.
“The government does not want to investigate the issue of elections,” Gohar asserted, pointing out that the resolution passed by the US House of Representatives should not be viewed as interference by the American government. He further noted that PTI was not consulted regarding the resolution passed in National Assembly.
“There is no tolerance in this government. They do not know what opposition is,” he stated, adding that he had not read the American resolution presented in the National Assembly but understood it addressed the need for ensuring human rights and transparent elections.
The PTI leader also condemned the government for not allowing opposition members to speak in the assembly, labeling this as a suppression of democratic discourse. He specifically criticized a statement made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif during the National Assembly session, claiming it had caused damage to the country’s reputation. “Khawaja Asif made this statement without taking the assembly into confidence. He could not defend his statement,” Barrister Gohar said, condemning the minister’s remarks for portraying Pakistan negatively on the international stage.
The PTI chairman also brought attention to the recent actions taken against the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, whose vehicle, office, and staff were withdrawn, an act that PTI strongly condemns.
It is to be noted that the National Assembly yesterday passed a resolution to respond to a resolution adopted by in the US House of Representatives. The National Assembly’s resolution, introduced by MNA Shaista Parvez Malik, expressed concern over the American resolution’s remarks regarding the use of Pakistani votes in the upcoming February 2024 elections. The resolution in the National Assembly underscored Pakistan’s status as a free and independent country that will not tolerate external interference in its internal matters.
