PTI ‘mulls’ stepping down from assemblies amid ‘shrinking political space’

• Even “breathing space” is not available to PTI, says Shafi Jan.
• Political committee to deliberate on resignations: minister.
• KP info minister says Bilawal, Nawaz freely leading campaigns.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shafi Jan has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is mulling stepping down from the legislatures amid “shrinking political space” for the opposition party.

Speaking on Truth Wire programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’ on Thursday, the KP information minister said all political leaders, including PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, were freely leading election campaigns in Gilgit-Baltistan while even “breathing space” is not available to PTI.

He said PTI leaders Junaid Akbar, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja and Shahid Khattak were barred from running the election campaign in the region for the upcoming June 7 polls.

Responding to a question, Shafi Jan said PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan issued the statement on stepping down from assemblies in the context of PTI leaders’ expulsion from the GB.

When asked to divulge details of the party’s strategy regarding resignations, the KP information minister said:

“This is just a beginning, and a detailed meeting of the political committee is due to be held on this matter. We want to continue with this system, but there is no breathing space for us in this system.”

In the similar statement last week, PTI senior leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser had warned that his party is “seriously considering” exiting the system, while stressing the need for a new Charter of Democracy in the country.

The former NA speaker said the PTI had other options as well if the Imran Khan-founded party was not given political space in the country.

“If this does not happen, we will exit the system. We are striving to secure our legal rights, and our mandate must be respected. If our mandate is not respected, we can take any decision,” he warned.

When asked whether the former ruling party was mulling en masse resignations from the legislature as well as dissolving the PTI-dominated KP Assembly, Qaiser said:

“There are various ways of leaving the system, but no final decision has been made so far. However, we are seriously considering that we will not be left with any option [but to exit the system] if the system continues to function in the same manner.”