“It is time for Pakistan to play its role because we are a nuclear power,” Raja said.
PTI Central General Secretary Salman Akram Raja addresses a press conference on Sunday. SCREEN CAPTURE
ISLAMABAD:
Leaders of the opposition alliance Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday urged the government to immediately withdraw from the Peace Board, avoid becoming a party to the Iran war and reverse the sharp rise in oil prices.
PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja, party leader Babar Awan and Senate Opposition Leader Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas made the demand during a press conference in Islamabad.
Raja said the Gulf region was facing an extraordinary situation and warned that “barbarism” had been imposed on the region. He said negotiations held earlier in Oman had been close to reaching a conclusion but were derailed by “Zionist forces.”
“It is time for Pakistan to play its role because we are a nuclear power,” he said.
Raja added that destruction of property should not occur in Arab countries or elsewhere and emphasized that the crisis must be resolved through dialogue. “Everyone will have to come to the negotiating table,” he said, urging leaders to avoid repeating past mistakes.
Raja said the Rs 55 per liter increase in petrol prices was indicative of what could happen economically in the country.
He claimed that no other country in the region had raised prices to such an extent and accused the elite of taking advantage of the situation rather than reducing their own spending.
