• Parliament ‘breached’ with NA speaker’s consent, alleges Salman Akram Raja
• Leaders claim KP CM was in a meeting with ‘state institutions’ on Monday night

PESHAWAR: Still reeling from the events of Monday night, the PTI on Tuesday called for countrywide protests on Friday against the detention of party lawmakers from Parliament House.

The call came at a press conference by PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan and former NA speaker Asad Qaiser at KP CM House, a day after the ‘mysterious’ disappearance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur that fuelled rumours of his possible arrest, alongside other PTI leaders in Islamabad.

Mr Raja said that apparently, the atta­­ck on parliament took place with the consent of the NA speaker, or he was feigning ignorance. “Whatever happened on Monday was shameful,” as Pakistan could not afford further trampling of democracy and silencing of people that had been going on for past 76 years, he said.

The PTI secretary general alleged attempts were being made to cancel the educational degrees of certain judges while they were also trying to give extension to ‘blue-eyed’ judges through legislation by using strong-arm tactics to compel legislators to support it. They were trying to subjugate parliament, he added.

He said that army installations were respectable and should not be attacked, but questioned whether or not parliament, too, deserved same respect. The establishment paddled the May 9 attack narrative against the PTI, he alleged.

Mr Raja said CCTV footage of May 9 incidents had not been released so far, though clips were being shared. “Half-truth is a complete lie,” he said, adding that using this pretext, the establishment was trying to push the PTI against the wall.

Snap polls demanded

The opposition leader in the NA Omar Ayub Khan said the Sept 9 attack on parliament was a black day, wherein at least four PTI lawmakers including party cha­irman Gohar Ali Khan were picked up.

He demanded proceedings against the heads of intelligence agencies and their operatives for attacking parliament.

He said the fear of Imran Khan’s popularity had allegedly paralysed the government and intelligence agencies. In this situation, he said, the only solution was fresh elections. “If establishment delays elections, then, it will only harm the country,” he warned. He alleged that the false flag operation of May 9 was used to target Mr Khan and push the PTI against the wall.

Gandapur’s meeting

However, when asked about the mysterious disappearance of CM Gandapur for several hours at the presser, the PTI general secretary told reporters he was “in a meeting with state institutions”. Mr Raja said the CM held a detailed meeting about the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as the Islamabad public meeting and the reaction it had garnered.

“It was a long meeting, but nothing to be worried about,” Mr Raja said, adding that the CM talked about constitution and democracy and stood his ground.

In reply to another question, Omar Ayub said CM Gandapur was a very tou­gh person and faced many hardships but stood firm as rock. In response to yet an­­o­­ther query, former NA speaker Asad Qai­­ser said the chief minister himself would explain his stance in KP Assembly soon.

The issue of mysterious disappearance also came up during the party’s core committee meeting in Peshawar.

KP government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif told Dawn the CM informed the party leadership about his meeting. He said the meeting with establishment focused on issues of law and order in the province. Besides, he said, the chief minister was also asked about the statements regarding the army he had made at the Islamabad protest.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2024