Faisal Vawada foresees ban on PTI after 'violent' Islamabad protest

Senator Faisal Vawda has expressed concern over the recent "violence" in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) thee-day long protest that was put off abruptly, claiming that the former ruling party would be banned over its actions.

"[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa] Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur will not be arrested, but Bushra Bibi [Imran Khan’s wife] will," he said while speaking on Geo News programme 'Capital Talk' on Wednesday.

His remarks came as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has decided to table a resolution in the Balochistan Assembly, seeking a ban on PTI after the Imran Khan-founded party put off its planned protest sit-in following clashes with security forces in Islamabad in the wee hours of Wednesday.

As PTI supporters marched on Islamabad’s D-Chowk — the main destination for the party’s sit-in, the police and security forces fired teargas shelling to disperse the protesters.

Subsequently, Gandapur and Bushra Bibi — who were leading the caravans — fled in a car, along with the activists, leading the party to "postpone" its much-hyped protest.

The protest was staged against the "illegal" incarceration of PTI founder Imran Khan, other party leaders and workers, the "stolen mandate" in the February 8 general elections and the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

Earlier in July, the incumbent government announced its plans to ban the former ruling party for its "involvement" in the May 9 riots, which saw military installations being vandalised, and the party's alleged attempts to sabotage Pakistan's deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Speaking on the programme today, Vawda castigated the PTI leadership for remaining "absent" during the protest, asking where was Omar Ayub Khan — Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly.

"A woman said she would march on D-Chowk but later ran away," he said, while referring to Bushra Bibi, adding that the former first lady has a "major role" in bringing PTI to "dead end".

He further claimed the entire PTI leadership admitted that Bushra Bibi created trouble for the party, noting that they should have agreed to shift the protest to Islamabad's Sangjani.

The Senator was referring to the government’s offer of an alternate protest venue to PTI, which Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said Imran Khan had agreed upon. However, Bushra Bibi refused and was adamant on reaching D-Chowk.

Furthermore, Vawda said that PTI leadership have "completed preparations" to keep Imran in jail.

Without naming anyone, he said that the May 9 events were carried out on a "vulture’s" orders. "Vulture is the one who benefitted from £190 million, brokered through the former prime minister," he added.