An interesting situation developed at an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Wednesday when PTI stalwart and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan reached there thinking today were the hearings of his cases, only to find out later that was not the case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Omar was under the impression that today there were hearings of three cases in the court related to the burning of vehicles outside Lahore’s Rahat Bakery and vandalism. But it was not so.
There was no hearing of any cases related to Omar Ayub in the court today. So, the PTI leaders had to return back.
Omar talks to media at ATC
Later talking to the media at the premises of the court, Omar, while refuting reports of a dialogue with the establishment, said all that the PTI wanted was fresh general elections. “We want our mandate back,” he said, adding, “What Pakistan needs is fresh elections.”
He termed the passage of the Election Act (Second Amendment) Bill 2024 by the National Assembly yesterday by a majority vote a futile attempt on the part of the coalition government to deprive the PTI of the reserved seats it was declared entitled to by a full-court bench of the Supreme Court, saying the party would challenge it in the apex court besides raising voice against it at every forum. “What Pakistan needs is fresh elections,” he said, adding, “While Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Hasina Wajid managed to flee to India to seek refuge after her government was shown the door by a violent student movement, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will flee when they are kicked out of the corridors of power.”
The opposition leader said that the PTI’s power show at Swabi was an eye-opener for everybody.
As a student of economics, Omar went on to say, he could say with certainty that the budget passed for the ongoing financial year was nothing but anti-people. “This will lead to an increase in inflation,” he predicted.
Reporter: Jamaluddin Jamali