• Draws parallel between current situation and 1971; says Gandapur instructed to lead rally in Islamabad for ‘true freedom’
• PTI leaders say symbolic hunger strike will continue till ex-PM is freed

KARACHI: PTI founder Imran Khan on Wednesday regretted how certain individuals with no understanding of social media were dishing out “digital terrorism” labels, Dawn.com reported.

The incarcerated leader’s remarks come in the wake of ISPR director general’s presser earlier this week where Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif had stated that “digital terrorists” were using tools such as mobile phones, computers, falsehood, and propaganda to impose their will on society “akin to terrorists”.

A post on Imran Khan’s official X account, which he cannot personally access while in prison, on Wednesday said: “The nation is being hated by calling the entire Pakistani nation as terrorists. A few people living in the 70s who are completely ignorant of how social media works are distributing the title of digital terrorism.”

The tweet cautioned that if everyone who supported his party was regarded as a “digital terrorist”, a gap would be created between the military and people.

“Ninety per cent of the population stands with PTI, 90pc of the people voted in favour of PTI,” he said, adding that people inciting hatred should be mindful of their actions.

“The same thing happened in 1971. On March 25, when Yahya Khan conducted an operation against a large number of people in Dhaka, the results were not good for the country,” he pointed out. “If the majority of the population are called terrorists even now, it will have dangerous consequences for the country,” he warned.

“Countries, governments and societies are built on the basis of ethics. In a society where morals disappear, nothing remains. Today, if people are badmouthing you, they are only talking about the supremacy of the Constitution.”

The PTI leader said that demanding supremacy of the Constitution and actual freedom was not treason.

He said the “ridiculous cases” being made against the party’s leaders and workers meant that they were “working perfectly peacefully and you began using fascist tactics against them when you could not control them peacefully”.

Mr Khan said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had been instructed to lead a rally in Islamabad.

“The entire nation should [be] prepared to fully participate in the rally for achieving true freedom against the oppressive and fascist system prevailing in the country,” he said.

Addressing media reports that said the ex-PM had acknowledged he had called for a protest outside the GHQ if he was arrested, Mr Khan said: “A narrative was created in the media under a specific agenda that I incited the people to protest by going to GHQ, whereas the fact is that there is no example of violent protest in the history of PTI spanning almost three decades.”

He said the element of violence was not part of the political training of PTI’s workers. “PTI believes in political, constitutional and legal struggle,” he added.

Hunger strike

Separately, the PTI announced it would be continuing a symbolic hunger strike outside Parliament House until Imran Khan is released and their ‘stolen’ mandate restored.

The hunger strike camp has been established near gate number 1 of the parliament building.

Addressing the participants, National Assembly’s former speaker Asad Qaiser said PTI was struggling to uphold the constitution. He demanded the release of the party’s founding chairman and women workers.

Leader of Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz alleged that the constitution had been suspended and freedom of expression curtailed in the country, adding that people were not able to exercise the basic human rights. He said the mandate of PTI had been stolen and an ‘incompetent’ group imposed on the masses.

The party will hold a countrywide protest on Friday (tomorrow), he announced.

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan said the hunger strike camp would continue till the release of Imran Khan.

He said PTI was the only party which was talking for the right and problems of people.

Referring to the federal cabinet meeting held earlier in the day under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, he claimed that facial expressions of ministers at the meeting clearly showed they were “hopeless and helpless”.

Talking to journalists about the soaring power bills, he said the PML-N government had signed agreements with the IPPs which have now become like a sword looming over the country.

Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2024