Raja Pervaiz Ashraf: Peaceful Protests a Democratic Right, but Parliament Is the Final Forum
Raja Pervaiz Ashraf: Peaceful Protests a Democratic Right, but Parliament Is the Final Forum
LAHORE: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Central Punjab President and former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has said that protests, sit-ins and processions are the democratic right of political parties, but they must remain peaceful and must not disrupt daily life.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore after a Punjab Executive meeting on Monday, Ashraf urged all political parties to make decisions calmly. He said Parliament remains the proper forum for presenting positions on every issue.
The meeting was hosted by PPP Lahore General Secretary Dr. Ayesha Shaukat. Senior party leaders attended, including Syed Hassan Murtaza, Rana Farooq Saeed, Shahzad Saeed Cheema, Faisal Mir and Samina Khalid Ghurki.
Ashraf noted that the day coincided with the birthday of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, which party workers celebrated together. He said the party is being strengthened across Punjab and is preparing in earnest for local government elections. "The people of Punjab are our real strength," he said.
On the issue of protests, Ashraf said no one should object to the right to demonstrate, but a sit-in should convey a party's position without affecting ordinary citizens. He described Parliament as the final and appropriate forum for resolving issues. He also cautioned against imposing opinions on others or rejecting them outright.
He said the PPP has held long marches in the past and borne their consequences. However, he stressed that protecting lives and property is the government's responsibility, and he called on all parties to put the country's broader interest first.
Turning to the economy, Ashraf said the war between the United States and Iran has affected economies worldwide. As an oil-importing country, he said, Pakistan cannot buy fuel at high global prices and sell it cheaply at home.
He welcomed the government's relief measures but said its mistakes should still be criticized. He urged speakers to rely on ground realities rather than emotion and described talk of turning Islamabad into Somnath as regrettable.
Ashraf said Pakistan's challenges exceed its resources and that the country must focus on expanding them and strengthening the economy. He concluded that the PPP has always spoken for the common man and will continue to raise its voice for the people's rights.
Among the other party leaders present were Usman Malik, Samina Pagganwala, Bushra Manzoor Manika, Ahmad Jawad Rana, Rana Ashar Hayat, Syed Inayat Ali Shah, Rai Shah Jahan Bhatti, Rai Shah Jahan Kharal, Tasneem Qureshi, Chaudhry Ijaz, Dr. Farid Zafar, Arshad Jutt, Ijaz Samaha, Asif Bashir Bhagat, Abrar Shah, Chaudhry Akhtar Ali, Aqeela Yousaf, Nargis Khan, Khalid Nawaz Bobby, Shaukat Abbasi, Malik Ali Saul, Rao Jamil Hashim, Imran Sarwiya, Chaudhry Sajjad Nazir, Sajjad-ul-Hassan, Allama Yousaf Awan, Imran Khokhar, Musa Khokhar and Dr. Khayyam Hafeez.
Keywords: Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, PPP Punjab, peaceful protest Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari birthday, PPP local government elections, Pakistan economy, Lahore press conference
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