Standing with judiciary like iron wall: PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership Friday said that the party stood with the judiciary and judges like an iron wall and no one would be allowed to insult judges or undermine the judiciary come what may.

The leadership also strongly condemned the mid-night operation of bulldozing the party’s Central Secretariat and called it a direct attack on democracy and an act of fascism.

Speaking at a press conference along with PTI senior leaders, including Latif Khan Khosa, Ali Muhammad Khan and Shaukat Mahmood Basra, PTI Central Secretary Information Raoof Hasan condemned ‘demolition’ of PTI central office and the registering of cases of terrorism.

Initially, the party’s Central Media Department announced that the news conference would be held at the National Press Club but then it was conveyed to the media that the event would be now conducted at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.

The PTI leaders said that the ‘puppet’ rulers were doing all these shameful deeds to establish one man dictatorship in the country, which the nation would not allow to happen under any circumstances.

Raoof demanded strict accountability of those responsible for this act and contended that the responsibility of the entire situation squarely lies on the government. He made it clear that neither the PTI leadership nor the workers and supporters could be intimidated and petrified through such shameful acts.

The PTI spokesperson said that neither such tactics could force Khan Sahib nor his party. “Imran Khan has said that now they have only one option -- to kill us -- and things seem to be going in that direction.”

He said that party member Amir Mughal was arrested from the secretariat on Thursday night and terrorism sections were imposed. On the other hand, terrorism sections were not imposed in his case (when he was assaulted, while coming out of a private TV channel).

The PTI spokesperson emphasised that Imran Khan lives in the hearts of millions of countrymen, therefore, dismantling PTI was out of question.

On the occasion, Latif Khosa said that the conspiracy to dismantle Pakistan’s largest political party was no more a secret and bulldozing and sealing of the party central office was continuation of the same scheme. Khosa said that those who used to say that respect the vote should also be ashamed, as they all fraudulently seized the powers. He vowed that PTI stood with the judiciary and judges like iron wall and no one would be allowed to insult judges or undermine the judiciary come what may.

Ali Muhammad Khan termed the Thursday night operation on the PTI Central Office an attack on Pakistan’s democracy, which showed that the space for politics was being eliminated and shrunk in the country. He warned that when the parties’ offices were closed, it is tantamount to provide opportunity to miscreants, which was regrettable. The PTI leader narrated that what happened to PTI’s workers and leaders, as the 80-year-old cancer survivor Dr Yasmin Rashid was battling for life in hospital, adding that what happened to Raoof Hasan was before everyone.

Meanwhile, PTI Core Committee met in tents after the party’s Central Secretariat was sealed. The party set up a tent office on the ground in front of the sealed main office building. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the attack was carried out by the CDA, but they wanted to make it clear that they are peaceful. Barrister Gohar said that in a democracy, a party has the sanctity of the central office, but there has been an invasion by the CDA on their head office. “We held a core committee meeting today [Friday] on the roadside, after obstacles were created in our way,” he maintained. Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Shibli Faraz said that the opponents cannot compete with the PTI politically, now they are using force.