DERA ISMAIL KHAN / ISLAMABAD: In a public appearance days after his arrest warrants were issued by a court in Rawalpindi, Khyber Pak­h­tunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur accused the federal government of “using” the army to open fire at PTI supporters.

While talking to media persons after attending the convocation of Gomal Medical College in his hometown, D.I. Khan, Mr Ganda­pur claimed the federal government had “illegally” invoked Article 245 during the PTI’s protest in Islamabad last month.

The said provision allows the government to summon the army “in aid of civil power”. The federal government invoked Article 245 to deploy the army at sensitive installations in the Red Zone for security purposes during the PTI’s protest.

While referring to the alleged killing of PTI supporters during the protest, Mr Gandapur said the PML-N-led federal government “imposed Article 245 and used the army for shooting innocent people”.

KP CM expresses concerns over safety of missing PTI workers

“…[A]t this time, there are 12 confirmed martyrs and 107 of our supporters are missing,” he claimed.

The CM expressed apprehension over the missing workers and said thousands of PTI supporters were arrested and hundreds injured with gunshot wounds.

He said the federal government’s actions were “sowing hatred” among people.

“I have already said on the floor of the assembly that the blood of these martyrs won’t go to waste. They sacrificed their lives for an ideology,” Mr Gandapur said, adding that the “killing and torture” of our own people should be stopped.

He claimed Pakhtuns are being victimised in Pakistan.

“Pakhtuns liberated Kashmir; tribal Pakhtuns donated weapons worth Rs650 million to the army during the 1965 war,” he claimed, adding that Pakhtuns “always fought on the front line” for Pakistan.

Mr Gandapur criticised the PML-N and PPP and accused them of “killing innocent people” for political point-scoring in the past.

“Bhutto killed people in Lahore in 1977, while the PML-N killed people in Model Town for political purposes,” he alleged.

While commenting on PTI’s negotiations with the government, Mr Gandapur said the party would hold dialogues “for the sake of the country”.

On the question of the multi-party conference called by KP governor, he said the governor had no right to hold the meeting.

When asked about JUI-F’s reservation over legislation about religious seminaries, Mr Gandapur said that children of these institutions were “our children, and we want to provide them with conventional education along with the study of religion”.

He said the provincial government is helping the teachers of registered mosques and seminaries.

“It is a good initiative to register these seminaries,” he added.

Arrest warrants

The non-bailable warrants for Mr Gandapur’s arrest were issued in connection with PTI’s in front of the General Headq­uarters on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

The warrants for other PTI leaders, including Shibli Faraz, retired Major Tahir Sadiq, Kanwal Shauzab, Shahar­yar Afridi and Zain Qureshi, have also been issued.

ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah issued their warrants on Dec 4, when he indicted former PM Khan and dozens of other PTI leaders in the same case.

Mr Khan, who has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023, was arrested by the Rawalpindi police in January over his alleged involvement in the protest.

Two other PTI leaders, Omar Ayub Khan and ex-Punjab law minister Raja Basharat, were held this week after the indictment. They were later released on post-arrest bail.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2024