Saif says PTI’s protest call unnerved rulers

PESHAWAR: Adviser to Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif on Monday said the protest call of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had unnerved the federal government.

In a statement, he criticized federal ministers Khwaja Asif and Ahsan Iqbal for their tirade against the PTI, saying that it was the right of the PTI to record its peaceful protest. Barrister Saif believed the federal government felt nervous after the PTI’s protest call. However, he said the PTI would continue staging protests until the release of PTI founder Imran Khan and the quashing of the “fake” cases. The CM’s aide said the federal government wanted a repeat of Lahore’s Model Town firing episode in a bid to prolong its rule. However, he maintained that these tactics of the federal government would backfire. Coming down hard on the federal defence minister, Barrister Saif claimed that he had lost his election to a woman candidate and managed to reach the corridors of power on the strength of form 47. He was also critical of federal minister Ahsan Iqbal and said he was trying to stay relevant through his rhetorical statements.

Barrister Saif said that hosting the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization would serve no purpose unless the federal government was ousted. He said the federal government was using the conference for political mileage.