PTI wants SC panel to probe May 9 violence

LAHORE / ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan Tuesday charged that the rulers were pursuing Mongol emperor Genghiz Khan’s policy of terror and brutality in the country and urged the nation to rise for their rights and be counted whenever he gave them a call. In a passionate appeal, he urged the people to remain peaceful.

In a televised address to the nation, Imran said the rulers’ agenda was to terrorize the people through bloodshed.

He said Genghiz Khan would order mass slaughter after conquering a city or country but spared a few to tell the stories of tyranny, cruelty and brutality to the others.

“As a result of this, the people of most of the cities used to surrender without war. The same method is being implemented in Pakistan at the moment. Such tyranny has never been witnessed in the country’s history. All this is being done to enslave the people of Pakistan,” he said.

The PTI chief said it was now time for everyone to contribute their fair share to the struggle. He said the homes of opponents were trespassed and even the women were targeted and live coverage of such incidents was shown on the TV.

Imran said it was mandatory upon the nation to break the shackles of fear and decide for good that it was time to run Pakistan in accordance with the law and constitution.

He said the people of Pakistan wanted their own representatives to plead their case and it was only possible through free and fresh polls.

Meanwhile, the PTI Tuesday demanded the constitution of an independent commission under the Supreme Court to investigate arson, vandalism, chaos and violence that took place in the country during May 9 protests.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan interacted with his party’s organizational office-bearers across the country through a video link to review the current situation in relation to May 9 events.

According to the Central Information Department, PTI Information Secretary Farrukh Habib claimed several irrefutable facts and evidences came to the limelight that could easily establish that violent persons were pushed into the peaceful protestors, who were in plain clothes and their identities were yet to be ascertained.

The meeting stressed the need for formation of a commission at the highest level to independently investigate all aspects of the violent incidents through a fair trial to bring to justice the real perpetrators.

It was decided that the party’s mass mobilization campaign pertaining to elections, devised by Chairman Imran Khan, would be executed as per schedule and the party chairman would address a huge public gathering in Muridke on May 18.

The meeting strongly condemned the ‘callous approach and inhuman treatment’ meted out to the people imprisoned after May 9, especially the women and children who were kept in arbitrary places, as they were taken from their homes and the sanctity of the four-wall was violated.

Farrukh Habib said women were kept at men’s police stations and were being harassed.

The meeting condemned attempts to spread fear and chaos in the country and decided to approach the high courts to take action against all responsible police officials in this regard.

The meeting reiterated its demand that fair and transparent polls were the only constitutional and legal solution to get the country out of the ongoing political and economic crisis.

Farrukh said the PTI believed that the decision-making powers should be transferred to the people through the vote.

The meeting stressed the need for taking measures to restore an atmosphere of confidence and condemned the ‘illegal arrest’ of Imran Khan, registration of more than 150 bogus cases against him, conspiracy of the government to shy away from elections and all the vindictive and politically-motivated actions against the party chairman.

The meeting was informed that over 7,000 PTI workers from all over the country were unlawfully arrested in different cases and were not being produced in courts.

It was decided to establish a special fund for the support of the family members of the martyrs and the workers brutalized by the police.

Farrukh said cases would be lodged against those police officers and unknown persons who had fired direct shots at the peaceful protestors, leaving dozens martyred and hundreds injured. He said the party chairman had instructed the Insaf Lawyer Forum to speed up their efforts for early release of the arrested workers.