HARIPUR: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan said on Sunday that no one is free in the country at the moment; anyone who speaks out is imprisoned under the PECA (Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act).
Speaking to the media here, Omar Ayub, who is a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), stated that under the leadership of Mehmood Khan Achakzai, political parties are uniting against the installed regime.
On March 23, the Pakistan Resolution was presented at Minar-e-Pakistan, and in this resolution, it was decided that a separate country would be created where Muslims could live freely, he added.
He said unfortunately, no one is free at the moment. The media is not free either. Anyone who speaks out is imprisoned under the PECA. The situation is worsening in the country.
Omar said the party leadership was ready to meet PTI founder Imran Khan. A letter was written to the speaker for permission, but it was not approved. As a result, we decided not to attend the meeting [of national assembly security committee] in protest. The decision made by the party [not to attend the meeting] was justified, he added.
The PTI leader condemned the incidents of terrorism, saying that despite the barbed wire at the border, the movement of people remains questionable.
Earlier, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub on Wednesday said that efforts were ongoing to convince Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to join the grand alliance.
Speaking to media, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader expressed optimism that Fazl would soon become part of the opposition bloc, adding that negotiations with the JUI-F leader were underway to finalise the alliance.
Since the imprisonment of its founder, Imran Khan, the PTI has been struggling on multiple fronts. Its bid to form a grand opposition alliance has faltered, and its strained ties with the establishment have further narrowed its options.
Meanwhile, PTI has expedited efforts to form a grand opposition alliance to launch an anti-government movement after Eid ul Fitr, following the party founder’s directives. Incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan had asked his party leaders to approach every political party to form a grand opposition alliance and launch an anti-government movement after Eid ul Fitr. A key move in this regard was to unite the opposition against the government, but internal discord and political missteps have stalled progress. Efforts to bring JUI-F on board have also been undermined by mixed signals from PTI’s own leadership. –Agencies
