LAHORE: The opposition PTI has decided to lodge a case against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and Rangers over the “abduction” of its chairman Imran Khan from the premises of Islamabad High Court last week.

The PTI will also lodge cases over the “murder of unarmed citizens at peaceful protests” across the country.

“The interior minister, as well as Punjab and Khyber Pakhtun­khwa chief ministers and police chiefs, will be nominated in these cases,” the party resolved.

It demanded that a high-powered commission comprising Supreme Court judges should be constituted to investigate the killing of unarmed citizens as well as the attempts to incite protesters to create anarchy in the country.

PTI chairman says democracy at ‘all-time low’ in Pakistan

The decisions were taken at a meeting of party leaders, chaired by Imran Khan at his Zaman Park residence on Sunday.

PTI sources claimed that at least 24 people have reportedly been killed and around 700 others injured during the series of demonstrations by PTI supporters across the country. They added that over 3,500 leaders and workers were picked by law enforcement agencies and taken to unidentified locations.

‘Propaganda rejected’

The PTI rejected what it called baseless propaganda against the party in light of May 9 violent incidents.

“PTI chief Imran Khan never deviated from the course of law and justice even when he faced the worst kind of situations in his political career,” the PTI stated and added that not a single stone was thrown during protests at thousands of locations in the country in the aftermath of an assassination attempt on Mr Khan on November 3 last year.

The party stated that the “false propaganda through the controlled media” aimed at protecting those who planned to create anarchy and unrest across the country.

The PTI strongly condemned the proposed “attack” on the Supreme Court by “seminaries students” led by PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

“The party condemns handing over of Islamabad and particularly its Red Zone to a private militia force of a ruling coalition party,” read the party statement.

Expressing solidarity with the Supreme Court, the PTI asserted that it would retaliate with full force if anyone tried to blackmail the Supreme Court from discharging its constitutional duties.

Elections

The PTI termed the government’s decision not to organise Supreme Court-announced general elections in Punjab on Sunday as a “murder of the constitution”.

It said the caretaker Punjab government had no constitutional or legal right to continue in office. The party meeting decided to finalise a legal course of action with regard to the future of caretaker governments in Punjab and KP.

Al Qadir Trust

The party meeting was given a detailed briefing about the Al-Qadir Trust case instituted against party chief Imran Khan and his wife. It termed the case a tactic to target Mr Khan and his wife for political victimisation.

The PTI central leaders meeting strongly condemned the ongoing crackdown and arrest of party leaders and workers and added that the party would go to all extents to legally assist the arrested associate of the party.

The PTI condemned the closure of the internet and the ban on social media sites that aimed at hiding the truth. It demanded that the federal government should restore the internet and open social media sites.

Protests on Sunday

A large number of people on Sunday staged peaceful protest demonstrations at several locations across major cities in the country on the call of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The PTI spokespersons reported that police and Rangers arrested protesters to break up demonstrations.

A large number of peaceful protests were held in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Karachi and several other cities in the country and abroad as the social media websites were flooded with pictures and videos posted from other cities and abroad.

The PTI chairman had urged citizens to come out of their homes for an hour on Sunday afternoon and hold placards bearing inscriptions “Haqeeqi Azadi” and “Save Constitution – Save Pakistan”. People were also holding placards bearing inscriptions in favour of early elections.

Meanwhile, PTI spokespersons stated that the police had continued raiding the homes of party leaders and workers, broke household articles and harassed family members including women and children.

The spokespersons posted videos on social media websites where police could be seen torturing women and arresting them. PTI leader Shahbaz Gill posted a video showing policemen dragging women and others at Liberty Roundabout Park.

Meanwhile, PTI leader Farrukh Habib tweeted that Rangers and police were picking up citizens who came out for the supremacy of the Constitution. “Is it banana republic or Palestine or occupied Kashmir – where fundamental right to protest, right to assemble, right to speak have all been banned,” he asked.

PTI Lahore president Sheikh Imtiaz Mahmood posted a video on his Twitter account and stated that police raided his home and picked up his 16-year-old son, who was supposed to appear for his Cambridge examination on Monday (today). He also stated the police took away his passport during the raid.

Sky News interview

PTI chairman Imran Khan said democracy in Pakistan was at “an all-time low” and the judiciary was the only hope left for the restoration of rights and freedom of people.

In an interview with Sky News on Sunday, Mr Khan said the violation of fundamental rights in the country had reached unprecedented levels. He cited examples of his own experiences of being taken into custody and raids on his Zaman Park residence by the police on two occasions.

During a raid, he said, police used excessive force and broke down the doors of his house in his wife’s presence and termed it an “unprecedented and unsettling situation” for himself.

On the other hand, he lamented that some 150 cases had been lodged against him in the past few months.

The PTI chief condemned all kinds of violence in the wake of arson witnessed on May 9 in Lahore, Peshawar and other cities.

Recounting the incident when he was arrested, he recalled a moment of confusion and said, “Some individuals resembling commandos suddenly appeared at the time of my arrest. I thought they came for my security. However, I soon realised that they were after me.”

He also recalled the “shocking and abrupt” nature of the incident and said he momentarily believed that there was some terrorist in the room only to realise that he himself was the target.

“The excessive force used during the arrest left a lasting impression on me,” Mr Khan expressed his dismay at the brutal treatment by everyone involved. He went on to say, “The way they manhandled and beat everyone and arrested me was unsettling and shocking”.

Despite the challenges he has faced, the former prime minister said he had displayed unwavering determination and readiness to face imprisonment once again. “I am ready to go to jail again,” he maintained.

Expressing his belief that the ruling coalition in the PDM government was fearing elections, Mr Khan said, “The government is petrified of elections and they fear being wiped out by the PTI in the polls.” “The ruling coalition is only willing to hold elections if he will be incarcerated or killed,” he stated and added that two assassination attempts had already been made on his life.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2023