ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The federal information minister Pervaiz Rasheed has said that there is no need to hold protest demonstrations or sit-ins to disturb the routine life or business activity of the people.
His remarks were made in particular reference to sit-in staged earlier by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for 126 days in Islamabad, seeking a probe into alleged rigging in 2013 general election. It is also not unlikely that Imran Khan-led party may resume its protest sit-in if the federal government doesn’t meet its demands.
In a statement, the information minister said that the government will follow the law and constitution for recounting of votes and opening of any constituency as demanded by the PTI.
There is a proper system and laws that provide guidelines for recounting of votes, he said.
The minister said that in fact recounting of votes in four constituencies pointed out by the PTI is already going on.
Meanwhile, the negotiation process between the two sides regarding the constitution of a judicial commission continues but they are still unable to resolve their differences over three points.
“We told the government team that the PTI has demonstrated whatever flexibility it could. Now the ball is in your (the government’s) court,” the PTI leader Asad, who is the part of his party’s negotiating team, told media after another round of talks with the government side on Tuesday night.
Later, at a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday that the PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the party’s chief Imran Khan is disappointed over the government’s reluctance to constitute a fully empowered inquisitorial judicial commission for audit of the elections.
Qureshi said that the PTI’s core committee would meet on January 6 to discuss the latest situation.
“All options will be discussed during the core committee meeting,” he said when asked if the PTI could return to its sit-in at D-Chowk in the capital.
