Sharif-Led PDM Calls Khan’s PTI ‘Terrorists’ after Oppn Protests against Pak Army Chief Munir Abroad

The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) coalition led by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a clique of militants trained by banned outfits.

“(PTI is) not a political party but a clique of militants trained by banned outfits,” the PDM said after it held a six-hour-long meeting of all members of the coalition government at the Prime Minister’s residence.

They also said that action against the political outfit will be taken in this regard according to the law.

During the meeting, the coalition parties denounced PTI’s actions last week in Islamabad where they allegedly clashed with Pakistan Rangers and Islamabad Police.

The PDM said PTI was obstructing police officers from performing their duties and stood by law enforcement saying that they were only implementing court orders. They said PTI’s actions were unacceptable.

The meeting was held amid Imran Khan taking to Twitter and alleging that PTI workers were being attacked by the police and cadres of the parties who are part of the PDM coalition.

“Taking up arms against the state, targeting its officers and men, firing at them, burning vehicles, besieging and ransacking court premises, looting, throwing police vehicles into canals and subjecting policemen performing their legal duties to violence is the height of lawlessness which no state can tolerate,’ the statement said.

Following the meeting, the members of the coalition expressed solidarity with the officers of state institutions and lauded them for performing their duties.

“Strict action should be taken against the law-breaking elements under the law and no exception should be taken,” the statement further added.

They said that a joint session will be held on March 22 during which important decisions will be taken to “ensure the implementation of the state’s writ”.

IMRAN IGNITES PTI WORKERS
The PDM leaders also condemned the anti-establishment and anti-army campaigns undertaken by the PTI chapters outside Pakistan.

The protests began after former prime minister Imran Khan tweeted that Sharif is targeting the cadres of his party and urged overseas Pakistanis to stage protests against the government.

The PTI chief said Shehbaz Sharif’s government was fascist and it was targeting its critics. “All our workers that have been jailed by this govt of criminals, today we will not only approach the courts but also int human right organisations. We will ask all PTI chapters abroad to approach their local elected representatives and politicians to inform them of the fascism going on in Pakistan,” Imran Khan tweeted.

PTI supporters in Washington, New York, London and other European cities protested against the Pakistani government and demanded an end to the Pakistan government’s actions against Imran Khan.

They also claimed that Pakistan chief of army staff General Asim Munir’s appointment was illegal.

“Establishment must realise its mistakes,” one PTI supporter said during the protest, urging the government to recognise and “accept civilian supremacy” and end human rights violations in Pakistan.

PTI supporters slammed almost every military chief and even condemned former president General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, the army chief who became president following a coup d’etat in 1977 and imposed martial law.

PDM chief Sharif also urged Pakistanis overseas to respond to the campaign taken out by PTI chapters overseas while condemning the campaign against Pakistan chief of army staff General Asim Munir.

“The campaign against the army chief is intolerable and a continuation of the conspiracy against the institutions,” he said in a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), while urging Pakistanis-abroad to not be part of “this nefarious agenda”.

“The elements who are running a dirty campaign against the martyrs of Lasbela are sitting abroad and running this nefarious campaign through social media and protests in different parts of the world,” the statement said, adding that strict action will be taken against elements supporting these protests.