Jail Bharo movement isn't for those crying after days of arrest: Marriyum

LAHORE: Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has criticised former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan over ‘Jail bharo’ movement, saying that those who cry within two days cannot fill jails, ARY News reported on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the information minister challenged him to become the first to voluntarily surrender before police, saying that the party’s leadership surrenders first to kick off ‘jail bharo’ movement.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that those who shed tears after facing imprisonment for just two days, could never make jail bharo movement a success. “The PTI chief has made party workers a shield for his politics”, she said.

She gave a breakdown that several Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders had spent behind bars without seeking a compensation from the then PTI government. “Nawaz Sharif had spent 374 days in jail, Shehbaz Sharif 340 days, Hamza Shehbaz 627 days, and Maryam Nawaz 157 days, without seeking a compensation,” she added.

The minister further said that PML-N leadership has presented its record of past four years and now Imran Khan will have to answer for the deteriorating economy, security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and taking the country back to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

She claimed that Imran Khan surrendered the country’s economy to International Monetary Fund (IMF), pointing out that the former premier put all opposition and journalists behind the bars.

She said KP got Rs471 billion but questioned about the capacity building of the provincial police to deal with the terrorism. “They did nothing to protect the KP police, Rangers, people of province and Pakistan army personnel in the province,” she added.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan announced the ‘Jail Bharo’ movement in the wake of arrests of several party leaders.

Imran Khan said after the coming 90 days whoever stays in the government, article 6 will apply on them. The nation is expecting that the judiciary will stand by the constitution.

The former prime minister claimed that nothing is in control of the current government. People should think about where is this country heading.