PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal has advised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to replace its leader, asserting that Pakistan needs an economic long march rather than a political one.

Speaking to the media, the federal minister for planning criticised PTI’s shifting narrative, stating that while its founder once claimed “we are not slaves,” he later expected former US President Donald Trump to secure his release.

“Now they say he will free the nation from US slavery — this is nothing but a joke,” he remarked.

Iqbal dismissed PTI’s recent opposition conference as an event attended by empty chairs and accused the party of hoping the US would intervene to save its leadership.

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“Imran Khan is a national criminal. PTI should bring forward honest leadership instead,” he said.

He further asserted that Imran Khan is not a political prisoner and that his only way out is through the courts.

“It’s laughable to think that the US will help him, and then he will, in turn, liberate Pakistan from US influence,” Iqbal added.

Emphasising the need for constructive politics, he criticized PTI’s past reliance on protests, sit-ins, and inflammatory rhetoric.

“PTI once campaigned against corruption, yet now its leader stands exposed for the biggest financial scandal,” he concluded.