Taking a stand: PTI activists protest Yaseen Khalil’s removal from cabinet

PESHAWAR: Activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held a protest outside the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday to express their anger over the removal of Yaseen Khalil from the provincial cabinet.

Protesters, from different areas of PK-5 constituency, set up a hunger strike camp and demanded the provincial and central leadership reinstate Khalil.

The party workers chanted slogans in favour of Yaseen Khalil. Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser arrived at the scene and assured enraged activists he would take up the matter with the PTI leadership. Following this, the protesters dispersed peacefully.
Khalil, when approached, told The Express Tribune he had already made it clear in the assembly that the only objection he and his voters had was the manner in which he had been removed from the cabinet.

“I should have been asked to submit my resignation,” he said.

Khalil added he has been in contact with his supporters and has urged them to refrain from agitation.
“This is our internal matter. I spoke to the protesters and asked them to end the camp,” Khalil said.

He vowed to continue to fight for the rights of his constituency as an MPA.

Similar protests have earlier been held in favour of former health minister Shaukat Yousafzai who has also urged his supporters to remain calm as he had accepted the party’s decision.

Khalil and Yousafzai were removed from the cabinet earlier this month over ‘bad performance’.

(By Our Correspondent) Published in GNN & Tribune, May 21st, 2014.

PTI threatens to halt traffic if protest barred

PTI Punjab president claims that rigging has taken place on at least 70 National Assembly seats. PHOTO: FILE

FAISALABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has threatened to paralyse traffic in the Punjab if the government created any impediments for the participants of the party’s proposed May 11 protest in Islamabad, PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, Chaudhry said that arrangements had been made to stage a historic protest in Islamabad.

“We have received reports from sources in the police and administration that the government plans to sabotage our protest call and resort to underhand tactics to create hurdles for the PTI workers to keep them from participating in the protest. However, all police officials and other government functionaries who attempt to create hurdles in the protest will be taken to task,” Chaudhry said.

He said that “The Sharif government has failed on all fronts. Rampant poverty, electricity and gas shortages, unemployment and inflation demonstrate that this government is incapable of delivering.” He said that due to energy shortages, exporters in the Faisalabad region alone had suffered a loss of Rs85 billion and around 15 million daily-wage employees had lost their jobs. He claimed that rigging had taken place on “at least 70 National Assembly seats and PTI candidates who were winners were made to lose in these constituencies.”

The PTI leader expressed concern over the law and order situation. “Street crime has jumped 70 percent in the Punjab compared to the previous year.”

(By Shamsul Islam) Published in GNN & Tribune, May 8th, 2014.