Islamabad: Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today appeared defiant as he warned the people to be wary of elements staging sit-ins and hampering national progress even as the three-week-long political turmoil showed no signs of a breakthrough.
“It is your duty and the duty of nation to take notice of such elements who cannot tolerate their progress and they should not allow anyone to stage sit-ins,” Sharif said amid demands for his resignation by protest leaders Imran Khan and fiery cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri.
Sharif, who visited flood-hit areas in Sialkot in Punjab province, said the government should be assisted in flood-relief efforts which was more important than staging sit-ins.
“Those who are staging dharnas should come forward to help government provide relief to flood-affected people,” he said. Sharif said the government has put the country on the path of progress and the nation should take notice of the people who are against the uplift of Pakistan, the News reported. Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) chief Khan has threatened to drag Sharif to the Supreme Court to seek his disqualification for allegedly lying about protesters and the army in parliament.
Khan, in an overnight address to protesters in front of parliament also said that the sit-in will continue until the government accepted his demands including Sharif's ouster. “The PTI leadership will approach the Supreme Court to get Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif disqualified as he was telling lies on the floor of the National Assembly regarding the leadership of the PTI, PAT and the army,” Khan said.
He said that Sharif was lying to harm his party and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Qadri. Khan and Qadri have been protesting in front of parliament since August 14 to force Sharif's resignation over alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections won by his PML-N party. Several rounds of talks have failed to resolve the crisis as protesters want nothing short of Sharif's ouster and fresh polls.
The government has ruled out Sharif's resignation and proposed a judicial commission to probe the alleged rigging while the premier has shown willingness to resign if the charges against him are proved.
Khan had earlier alleged that the government lied to the people about army's mediation in the crisis. The talks between the government and PTI are expected to resume today after a one-day break. The process is going very slow. The two sides have reported progress but still there are differences of over several issues.
Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and head of political jirga Sirajul Haq has said that he held meetings and talks with more than 20 people including Sharif and Khan to end the deadlock in dialogue process, Geo News reported. Haq held a meeting with Pakistan People's Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari last night and discussed the situation due to the sit-ins in Islamabad.
