ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Thursday wrote a letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, urging him for an affirmative action against the “political victimisation of his party, abductions and disappearances of PTI workers”.
The PTI chairman has also drawn the chief justice’s attention towards equal opportunities for his party to lead its political campaign in the run up to the elections.
He emphasised the need to assert Article 184(3) of the Constitution of Pakistan, which safeguards the “right to liberty, to associate, assemble, and speak” on account of their political affiliation. He demanded that the court should set up a commission to probe the abductions and disappearances of PTI’s workers and journalists and direct the federal government and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority to allow all political parties and their leaders to have media coverage without any discrimination.
“These disappearances or abductions, quite apart from the arbitrary arrests, have spread fear in the society and are a grotesque affront to the claim that Pakistan is a country ruled by a constitution and a set of laws. Today, the power to prosecute and arrest is being used in a blatant attempt to engineer and skew the political landscape of the country,” the letter read.
The former prime minister said that all political parties, along with the PTI, should be allowed coverage without any restriction or discrimination. He contended that a large number of women arrested in Lahore were a “tragic indictment of law enforcement”; these women were imprisoned for six months, with further re-arrests when bail was already granted in one case.
“Those bailed out by the courts in one or more cases are immediately booked in further cases that purport to pertain to events several months in the past. Often several FIRs are registered against persons affiliated with the PTI with respect to the same event. The same persons are also implicated in successive FIRs with respect to different and unrelated events all across the country.”
The letter drew the CJP’s attention towards the PTI’s petitions that moved the provincial high courts against such arrests and registration of cases in “undisclosed” FIRs but “the unfavourable observations of a bench of the apex court” disabled the high courts from preserving the PTI leaders and activists’ right to liberty.
Imran said in the letter, “However, the unfavourable observations of a bench of the apex court against the salutary safeguard provided by the respective high courts has disabled the high courts from acting to preserve the right to liberty and due process available to the people of Pakistan, inclusive of the supporters of the PTI. Following the observations of the apex court, a fresh wave of state operation has swept across the provinces of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Islamabad Capital Territory.”
The PTI chairman said that this is a situation that demands judicial notice and immediate consideration by the apex court. He particularly highlighted Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad authorities for their “maltreatment”.
“...the apex court cannot be unaware of the phenomena of the disappearances of individuals affiliated with the PTI or those connected with the government led by the PTI between August 2018 and April 2022. These persons have reappeared and made press conferences that are clearly tutored,” the letter read.
He urged the chief justice to direct the federal and provincial governments as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to allow the PTI, like all other political parties, to hold political meetings and gatherings without “discrimination”.
“Without the intervention of the apex court in halting the widespread arrests and abductions that are presently underway, there is no possibility of a fair general election being conducted on February 8, 2024. In view of the foregoing, it is respectfully prayed that the apex court of the country may kindly exercise the power available to it to ensure the enforcement of fundamental rights and to grant to the people of Pakistan,” the letter read.
The PTI chairman requested the apex court to put a halt to the arrests and registration of FIRs against the persons bailed out.
Meeting was attended by CDA members, DG Resource Wing, ED Capital Hospital and the relevant senior officers
Mian Saleem, who was placed in list of most wanted terrorists, was accused by FIA of blackmailing Judge Arshed Malik
Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir advocated for creation of authority to regulate and promote Pakistan’s mineral industry
$626,980 was paid for submission and approval of project charter and execution
Speaker advocated collective approach to strengthening democratic and parliamentary institutions across Pakistan
Both discuss matters of mutual interest, and agreed to enhance trade and cultural ties between two friendly countries
