QUETTA: Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai has asked the United Nations and human rights organisations to take notice of the “brutal” treatment meted out by the authorities to PTI workers during their protest in Islamabad.

Speaking at a presser on Thursday, he alleged that as result of the state violence a large number of PTI workers and supporters were killed and hundreds others injured.

Condemning the violence, he accused the government of hiding the facts about casualties that occurred owing to action taken by the police and security forces against protesters who had reached Islamabad despite roadblocks on the call of PTI founding chairman Imran Khan.

Mr Achakzai, who also heads the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz-i-Aaian Pakistan, re­­jected the government claims about violence by PTI supporters and demanded an independent inquiry into the excessive use of power and accountability of those responsible for it.

Mahmood Achakzai seeks independent inquiry into use of force against marchers

He further demanded that FIRs should be lodged against the government action in which the prime minister, interior minister and IGP should be nominated as they were allegedly behind the brutal violence against the peaceful protesters.

The PkMAP chief while referring to cases against Mr Khan said the government had instituted false cases against him.

“The cases against Imran Khan are politically motivated, and therefore, he and all other political prisoners should be immediately released,” he demanded.

Answering a question, Mr Achakzai commented on the representative status and role of the Balochistan Assembly which passed a resolution against PTI.

He pointed out that restrictions on parties never ended their politics in the past, nor will they do so now.

He said the truth of the Feb 8 elections is well known, where one seat was allegedly sold for Rs700 million.

He expressed concern over the kidnapping of a 10-year-old schoolboy from Quetta on Nov 15, who has not been recovered so far.

Mr Achakzai assailed the institutions who mobilised all their power against political activists, but failed to take any substantial action against criminals and armed gangs who had killed innocent people in Rahrah Sham, Duki, Musakhail and Khurram district.

He also criticised the 26th amendment and the role of PPP and JUI-F in its passage, adding that the constitutional framework everyone had agreed to was now being distorted.

Published in Dawn, November 29th, 2024