Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Salman Akram Raja Tuesday rejected restrictions on political expression, saying there was no justification for silencing voices and that politics should not be treated as a crime, reported 24NewsHd TV channel.
Talking to the media at the Gorakhpur checkpoint, Raja said that PTI founder Imran Khan had clearly instructed party leaders not to seek any personal comfort for him, but to stand firm on principles.
“There is no reason why our words should not be accepted,” he said.
Responding to a question about Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s statement that he would reach D-Chowk wearing a shroud, Raja said no date had been announced and only determination had been expressed.
He added that the party did not want the situation to escalate to such an extent and urged decision-makers to convey the people’s rights back to them.
Commenting on reports that permission to meet the PTI founder was conditional on avoiding political discussion, Raja questioned the logic behind such restrictions.
“Why should there be no political talk? Is politics a sin?” he asked, adding that a political worker dedicates his life to politics, which he described as a form of worship and service to the people.
He said that while a person’s body could be imprisoned, their thoughts and speech could not be confined.
Citing historical examples, Raja said leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru had written books while in jail, which were later published. “Imprisoning language is a completely inhumane attitude,” he remarked.
Raja said voices could not be suppressed forever and warned against turning the country into a “graveyard of silence.”
He stressed that voting must be respected and declared sacred, adding that the country could only move forward by upholding constitutional rights, law and freedom.
Referring to statements by the PTI founder’s sisters, Raja said they merely convey the message coming from within him and questioned why that should be objected to.
He also noted that millions of people express differing views on social media, which no political party can control.
“We speak of the Constitution, the rule of law and freedom,” Raja said, urging decision-makers to focus on substance rather than on who is voicing an opinion.
Reporter: Irshad Qureshi