‘No petrol in any station, no cash in ATMs’: Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez

The Lahore police fired tear gas, baton-charged and detained supporters of ousted Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan to stop them from reaching the capital Islamabad to demand fresh elections.

Updated on: May 25, 2022, 20:52:07 IST

By HT News Desk | Written by Aniruddha Dhar, New Delhi

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On a day Lahore witnessed clashes between supporters of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and police, former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez took to Twitter and slammed the Pakistani establishment over the shortage of fuel and cash, tagging prominent politicians in the country.

Pakistan's former all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez. (Getty Images)

Pakistani police fired tear gas, baton-charged and detained supporters of the ousted prime minister to stop them from reaching the capital Islamabad to demand fresh elections.

"No Petrol available in any petrol station in Lahore??? No cash available in ATM machines?? Why a common man have to suffer from political decisions," the former Pakistan all-rounder tweeted and also tagged Khan and current Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif among other politicians.

Political and economic volatility has deepened in the nuclear-armed nation ahead of a likely announcement by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) later in the day on whether it will resume a $6 billion rescue package.

On Saturday, Khan, 69, had asked his supporters to march peacefully to Islamabad on May 25 to press for the dissolution of the National Assembly and fresh elections in the country.

Pakistan’s coalition government-led by Shehbaz Sharif, however, has rejected the demand, saying the government will complete its tenure and the polls would be held next year.

Prime Minister Sharif’s coalition government initially allowed the protest but on Tuesday refused to give permission, fearing violence and lawlessness in the wake of the march.

Khan, ousted in a confidence vote last month after losing his partners in his coalition, has urged supporters to march on Islamabad and stay there until the new government is dissolved and a date for a fresh election is announced.

Islamabad's entry and exit routes have been blocked, as well as all-important sites, including parliament, government offices and diplomatic missions, officials said. Entry and exit points were also blocked to and from all major cities in Punjab province and on the Grand Trunk Road (GTR).

(With inputs from agencies)

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