RAWALPINDI: In a rare public appearance during his trial before an anti-terrorism court on Saturday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi appealed to citizens to respond to PTI founding chairman Imran Khan’s call for protest in Islamabad on Nov 24.

“We must remain calm, and our protest must be peaceful,” Mr Qureshi remarked as he reiterated PTI’s commitment to peaceful demonstrations in a brief interaction with his legal team.

He also expressed admiration for PTI leadership’s resilience, particularly acknowledging the efforts of Bushra Bibi, spouse of Imran Khan, and his sisters in the ongoing political struggle.

When the case pertaining to the violent attacks on General Head­qu­arters (GHQ) on May 9, 2023, was taken up, no senior PTI leadership was present to accompany Mr Qureshi.

Asad Qaiser demands release of Imran along with all PTI workers

Judge Syed Amjad Shah marked Mr Qureshi’s attendance, while Advocate Faisal Chaudhry submitted exemption applications on behalf of other party leaders accused in the case, including Fawad Chaudhry, Shibli Faraz, and Dr Shireen Mazari.

Mr Qureshi criticised the misuse of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Maintenance of Public Order, claiming the laws were being used against PTI. He called for strengthening the judiciary, asserting that an independent judiciary was essential for democracy.

He urged PTI leaders, including Barrister Salman Akram Raja, Omar Ayub Khan and Waqas Akram, to visit detained party members in Kot Lakhpat Jail. He referred to the imprisonment of senior leaders including Dr Yasin Rashid and others and highlighted the importance of coordinating efforts with like-minded political entities to work towards a prosperous Pakistan.

The vice chairman said, with over 40 years of political experience, he offered his input to the PTI leadership, calling for unity and collaboration among all factions to strengthen democracy and governance.

Earlier, senior PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser made it clear that the protest call was given by Imran Khan in a bid to allay misgivings about who rules the roost in party.

It was not clear whether Mr Khan or his spouse Bushra Bibi or sisters had given the call for protest since Mr Khan’s sisters recently shared a message regarding PTI protest in Islamabad on Nov 24.

Amid the controversy, PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat, in a televised interview, claimed that party workers would not respond to protest call from Bushra Bibi or Mr Khan’s sisters but Mr Khan himself.

In a statement, Mr Qaiser said Mr Khan appealed to the entire nation to take to the streets for ‘real freedom’.

“You know that the Constitution of Pakistan has been practically suspended. Parliament and judiciary have lost their value. Currently, there is law of jungle in Pakistan. Those who have might and stick, they are having all powers,” he claimed.

The most prestigious institution i.e. parliament was “under attack” with its members being arrested, he said.

Trade with Afghanistan

He said all PTI workers along with Imran Khan must be released immediately as cases against them were nothing more than ‘political victimisation’. “Imran Khan has been kept in jail despite the fact that he has not been facing a single case in which he cannot get bail. Currently, farmers have been suffering, industry is facing closures and no one is willing to invest in the country.”

“We demand that Constitution and law should be enforced in the country. We demand that trade with Afghanistan should be restored, as people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been suffering,” he said.

On the other hand, according to PTI’s media wing, Imran Khan has issued a final call for a protest. Claiming that the current regime is “more frightening than General Musharraf’s dictatorship”, the PTI media wing urged supporters to converge in Islamabad on Nov 24 for a massive protest.

Ikram Junaidi in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2024