Pakistan: PTI says 107 'fake' FIRs against party leaders as govt suppressing oppn's voice

Senior vice president of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, on Sunday slammed the country's incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's government for filing "fake" FIRs against him as well as 107 PTI leaders. The former Information and Broadcasting Minister of Pakistan alleged that the "imported government"- a term concocted by PTI chief Imran Khan- was using its power to suppress the "voice of opposition." He maintained that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) enacted "laws of their choice."

"From the first days, they made changed in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), changed the investigation teams, removed prosecutors, and installed people of their own choice and after abolishing the Exit Control List (ECL), they are now going to abolish the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)," PTI senior leader, Fawad  Chaudhry  underlined while speaking to media, as per ANI.

The former minister and his brother Faisal Chaudhry were booked at Mangla Police station in Jhelum along with 150 others. Chaudhry had filed a petition at the Islamabad High Court for a protective bail on May 25.

'PTI will get rid of mafia': Fawad Chaudhry

Fawad Chaudhry was granted protective bail by the Islamabad High Court against the surety or PKR 5,000. According to the Dawn, the petition was disposed of thereafter.

Speaking to the press on Sunday after his hearing, Fawad claimed that "it has now become a routine of the imported government to lodge false FIRs to our pressure on political leaders." He further thanked the Chief Justice of the IHC, The News International reported. "We are seeing it all, the PTI is keeping an eye on all that is happening, we cannot hand over this country to Maryam Nawaz (Vice President of PML-N)...the PTI will get rid of the mafia," the former minister added.

Political turmoil in Pakistan

The political landscape of Pakistan has turned into a battlefield after former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the Azadi March to press for fresh elections in the nation. Irked by the mass rally, despite repeated warnings against the rally, the Shehbaz Sharif government-ordered crackdown on marchers and PTI leaders. Police fired tear gas and lathi-charged party workers to disperse the gathering.

The political situation in Pakistan remained dire since leading up to the no-confidence motion against Khan. The situation deteriorated after Khan's unceremonious departure from the PM post in April. Ever since then Khan has repeatedly called for fresh elections alleging that his opponents have colluded to launch corruption charges against him. At the Azadi March, Khan  slapped an ultimatum of six days to Sharif's government to dissolve Assemblies and announce general elections.

(Image: AP)