#Aitzaz warns govt and 'revolutionaries' against violence

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Senator Aitzaz Ahsan on Monday warned the federal government and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan not to take any violent course of action.

Aitzaz Ahsan said that the PTI leader had been approached through several avenues in order to diffuse the rising tensions, including recounting of votes, but it had been in vain which was most regrettable.

The opposition leader said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has no need to worry because Parliament is standing by the government.

Aitzaz said that the prime minister should not create obstacles for peaceful protestors.

“Revolutions are always non-violent so the revolution as announced by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri cannot be genuine in light of his statements against the police,” he said.

Aitzaz added that if any untoward incident took place, the government will not be blamed rather Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri would be held responsible.

“Universally revolutions are brought by purity and without any ambiguity.

“In reality revolution should be brought against those standing by the sides of people calling for revolution,” Aitzaz said in a veiled reference to Sheikh Rashid and the Chaudhry bros.

The opposition leader said that statements given by General Raheel Sharif after General Kayani's retirement said that the army was not in favour of interventions regardless of calls made by Qadri.

Senator Haji Adeel belonging to the Awami National party (ANP) said Islamabad has been turned into a fort owing to the government's actions and added that even his party had reservations accepting the results of the 2013 general elections but had accepted the PTI victory in areas traditionally won by the ANP.

Defending the steps taken by the government, Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz central secretary information Senator Mushahidullah Khan said that if the parliament was attacked then even opposition members would accuse the government of not doing enough.

He further said that the PML-N was not even in power when the alleged rigging had taken place.

Senator Mushahidullah claimed that PTI was not the true opposition and had the lust for derailing democracy. He also alleged that Dr Tahirul Qadri was trying to spread anarchy in the country.

Talking about the delay in the decision over verification of votes as per demands of the PTI he said that the matter was the responsibility of the election commission and not the governments.

Every one would have raised objections had the decision been taken by the government. Published in Dawn