PTI's social media cell fanning unrest to turn Pakistan into Sudan: Ahsan Iqbal

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal Sunday picked apart Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), alleging the party's social media cell was hell-bent on fanning unrest through propaganda based on fabrications to push Pakistan into a Sudan-like situation.

"PTI's social media wanted to turn the country into Sudan via its fabricated campaigns," Iqbal said while speaking to the media in Narowal.

He said that PTI should be ashamed of its "anti-state" activities.

The minister began by saying that the money that had come from Britain was transferred to Supreme Court's account, as he referred to the Al-Qadir Trust case.

He said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had committed an embezzlement of Rs60 billion, which was exposed.

The former premier was given blanket relief from the Islamabad High Court, barring authorities from arresting him in any case till Monday morning (May 15).

In the first relief, a two-member special divisional bench granted two-week bail to the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, and later, the court stopped authorities from arresting him till May 17 in any new case filed against him till May 9 — the day he was detained in the corruption case, which led to deadly countrywide protests.

The cricketer-turned-politician then sought transitory bail in four cases lodged against him in Lahore, in which the court awarded him bail till May 22 in the Zille Shah murder case; then, another bench also ordered authorities against apprehending the former prime minister till the morning of May 15 while hearing the bail petition filed against three terrorism cases.

The minister went on to say that the former premier had claimed that the cabinet had given the approval for the transaction in question.

“When it is your turn to give receipts, you are crying? When it is your turn to give receipts, you burn Jinnah House," he blasted the PTI chief.

He said that Khan laid the foundation of chaos in the country. He called on the PTI supporters to think well and tell what developmental work had the party done in Pakistan so far.

Continuing his criticism of the former prime minister, Iqbal said that Pakistan was facing a severe crisis today.

"Imran Khan ruined every institution," the minister said. 

The federal minister said that no shots were fired during a hybrid war and its target is to divided institutions.

“Through Imran Khan, the country’s economy was destroyed first.”

Commenting on the dissolution of Punjab assembly in January, Iqbal said Khan was given permission to complete the task.

Iqbal, when talking about the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s protest in Islamabad against relief given to Khan, said the 13-party ruling coalition will stage its protest in front of the Supreme Court at 11am tomorrow (Monday).

Meanwhile, despite the protests against the discrimination towards other political groups in the country, the minister assured that the government respects Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and the Supreme Court.