PESHAWAR: Adviser to Chief Minister for Information and Public Relations Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif on Monday condemned the sealing of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House by the Islamabad administration and the Capital Development Authority (CDA), calling it illegal and an attack on the unity of the federation.
In an official handout, he congratulated all party workers for the successful and peaceful protest and credited Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for his effective strategy that led to the peaceful demonstration.
Saif said it was the policy of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to avoid any confrontation with the Rangers and the military. He pointed out that the federal government deployed the Rangers and military at Barhama Bahter Interchange under Article 245, but to avoid any conflict, the chief minister, along with some workers, took the Sangjani Interchange route to reach D-Chowk, where he addressed the PTI workers.
Saif explained that the chief minister went to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House to chalk out a future strategy and decide on the next course of action. However, he said the federal government “illegally” surrounded the premises in an attempt to arrest the chief minister by conducting four raids.
He maintained that this unlawful plan was aimed at creating political instability by arresting the chief minister, who remained safe at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House. Saif alleged that the federal government had plotted to incite a clash between the public and Pakistan’s armed forces, but PTI’s successful strategy ensured that no such confrontation occurred.
He denounced the Islamabad administration and CDA’s action of sealing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, declaring it not only illegal but also an attack on the rights of a provincial unit of the federation.
Saif said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House was the property of the provincial government and confirmed that PTI would take legal action against this unconstitutional move. He accused the federal government of using every fascist tactic against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, but assured that PTI would challenge this in court and fight for justice.
Regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, Saif said that protests were the essence of democracy and were welcomed by any democratic government. However, he stated that the federal government, in an attempt to cover up its corruption, was so terrified of a peaceful protest that it went to extreme measures that included digging up the motorways, firing 50,000 tear gas shells, and blocking Islamabad with containers, completely shutting down access to the city. He added the federal government itself sent a clear message to all foreigners that it was undermining the core values of democracy.