ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Information Secretary (CIS) Sheikh Waqas Akram Tuesday strongly condemned what he called “the mandate thieves” for concocting even more absurd and unfounded cases against PTI founder Imran Khan and other party leaders, saying that Sharif and Zardari dynasties formed an alliance against Imran Khan because they recognized him as a formidable threat to their political survival.
In a statement, Waqas Akram vehemently asserted that this misguided policy of terrorizing, coercing, and intimidating the people would only serve to further discredit the “puppet regime” in the eyes of the people, rather than weakening PTI’s resolve.
Sheikh Waqas underscored the PTI’s unwavering commitment to challenging the status quo and fighting for justice, despite the relentless attempts to silence them.
Responding to the attacks against PTI and its leadership, Akram unequivocally denounced the government’s brutal actions, which he said had “unleashed a reign of terror, silencing free speech and strangling dissenting voices”.
He said that the government’s coercive measures aimed to choke free speech, stifling sane voices that dare to criticize in total disregard of people’s rights would only serve to further widen the fissures within our already fragmented society.
PTI Secretary Information highlighted Imran Khan’s stance, opting for imprisonment over a clandestine escape to flee the country like other corrupt politicians, a testament to his unwavering dedication to Pakistan’s interests.
He went on to say that Imran Khan sacrificed his personal comfort for the greater good of the people because he is a true statesman, whereas self-serving Zardari and Sharif dynasties always prioritized their own interests and those of their kin instead of the state and its people.
Sheikh Waqas stated that the Sharif family’s lust for power could be judged from the fact that even Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz conspired against Nawaz Sharif, who was brought back to Pakistan with great fanfare, ostensibly to assume power for the fourth time.
He noted that the brother-niece duo cleverly manipulated Nawaz’s return to Pakistan for their own political gain, which exposed their opportunistic nature, adding that if they were not sincere with Nawaz, what to talk of Pakistan and its people.
Akram emphasized that the PPP and PML-N were family-run enterprises, not genuine political parties that was why they joined forces against Imran Khan, desperate to salvage their sinking political fortunes.
Sheikh Waqas noted that despite decades of alternating rule, the PPP and PML-N only brought ruin to Pakistan, looting the national treasury to enrich themselves and their cronies, and plunging the country into unrelenting crises.
He emphasized that the PML-N government, lacking a public mandate, resorted to brutal tactics to suppress PTI; however, these coercive measures only backfired, as PTI’s popularity continued to soar despite the challenging circumstances.
Sheikh Waqas urged the government to refrain from restricting internet access, stressing that they need to resurrect and return the mandate to the PTI, as they seized power through massive poll fraud.
He reiterated that PTI was, undisputedly, the most formidable political force in Pakistan, with Imran Khan being the country’s most popular leader. Therefore, he advised that the puppet regime should not wase energy on suppressing PTI and removing the country’s most popular leader from the political scene because it was not a child play.
Akram stressed that it’s high time for the imposed government to either restore PTI’s stolen public mandate or hold fresh, transparent, and free elections to steer the country out of its current crisis before it was too late.
