Omar Ayub slams PM Shehbaz Sharif as ‘servant’ with no real power

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Omar Ayub has criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accusing him of only being ready for negotiations when an ‘order’ arrives, Express News reported.

Speaking to the media outside an Anti-Terrorism Court in Sargodha on Friday, he described the PM’s role as that of a “servant or clerk,” claiming he holds no real power.

Ayub stated that PTI came to power through the public’s mandate but pointed to the government’s policies as the primary cause of rising inflation. He also stated that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) would likely agree to water distribution deals at the expense of Sindh’s people.

The PTI leader also expressed strong disapproval of the recent amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), stating that the government is curbing freedom of speech.

He accused PPP of hypocrisy, noting that while the party once opposed the PECA law, it has now fallen silent on the matter. He said the notion of press freedom or even freedom of expression in Pakistan has ceased to exist, with media personnel unable to speak or write freely.

Ayub further asserted that PTI harbors no hopes from the United States or the United Kingdom, particularly in the context of Pakistan’s political crisis.

He called for Article 6 to be invoked against former Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, accusing him of aiding the current rulers in rigging elections.

Additionally, Ayub highlighted that despite PTI’s repeated appearances in court, they remain unclear about the charges against them.

He also criticised the government’s inaction, saying his letter requesting the formation of a parliamentary committee had not yet received a response from the PM. He vowed that PTI would not allow the matter to be delayed any further.