LAHORE: While incarcerated leaders of the PTI have sought to suspend the ongoing protest movement, a message shared on “Islamabad massacre” from party founder Imran Khan’s X handle called Nov 26 a black day in the history of Pakistan.

The protest movement was abruptly suspended after the state machinery pushed the PTI protesters away from Islamabad’s D-Chowk, but Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Min­ister Ali Amin Gandapur announced, “Our sit-in at D-Chowk will continue until our leader Imran Khan will call it off.”

Incarcerated leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and others in Kot Lakhpat jail, through an open letter delivered to media persons on Friday, called for suspending the protest movement and urged the party leadership to announce a countrywide mourning.

They said condolence meetings should be organised across the country for recitation of Holy Quran, while party leaders visit the bereaved families and offer fateha at the graves of ‘D-Chowk martyrs’.

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They also suggested sharing of authentic details of the massacre with the people through ‘social media with full force’. According to them, the mourning and condolence references could be developed into a united public force venting their anger against the state action.

The incarcerated leaders also suggested that the party set up Shuhada Fund for the bereaved families after getting a nod from Mr Khan.

Meanwhile, PTI secretary-general Barrister Salman Akram Raja visited the grave of Anis Satti in Alipur union council of Islamabad, offered fateha and condoled with the bereaved family.

The barrister, whose resignation from party position was not accepted immediately, tweeted that Anis Satti sitting on the pavement, carrying Mr Khan’s portrait, near D-Chowk was shot in the abdomen.

The PTI has already established a crisis cell to collect details of those killed and injured during the protests. It has also advertised four WhatsApp numbers, urging the people to share information of those still missing as well as videos and photos to prove ‘fascism unleashed by the state machinery’ at D-Chowk on Nov 26.

The PTI has also offered legal aid to the protesters.

Thread to draw attention

Meanwhile, a message from Imran Khan’s X handle on ‘Islam­abad massacre’ called Nov 26 as a black day, when brute force and war-grade weapons were allegedly employ­ed against “peaceful citizens” exercising their right to protest.

“The exact number of casualties and injuries remain uncertain, as the area of the ‘operation cleanup against civilians’ was wiped out overnight, and hospital records have been tampered/blanketed to cover up and obfuscate the truth about the horrifying incident,” it said.

“For the last three days, families, lawyers, local and international journalists are being denied access to the hospitals. We are drawing the world’s attention by starting this thread to share video evidence of those who have been pronounced dead so far,” it added.

Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2024