Omar leads PTI MPs protest march to ECP

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Saturday led a protest march of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators from the Parliament House to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the Constitution Avenue. The march was to protest the “injustices being committed against the party”. The protesters were stopped from reaching the electoral body’s central office, as large contingents of security personnel were deployed outside the ECP building.

Amid slogan-chanting, Omar Ayub, speaking on the occasion, said that the only job of Election Commission was to conduct a clean and transparent election but it failed to fulfill its constitutional duty. Therefore, in view of its failure, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other members of the Election Commission should resign immediately.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said, “The doors of courts have been closed on opposition leader; our women are in jail, history will remember them.” He said that it was a matter of regret that all the parliamentarians were coming out on the streets and protesting for the release of PTI founder.

“Today we have come out against this injustice. Our voice is not being heard in this House (Parliament). Whatever we said in the House, our voice was silenced. We want the women’s release. This is a clear violation of human rights,” he said.

Addressing the participants of the protest, the party’s central leader Asad Qaiser said, “On May 9, we were targeted on the pretext that we are not negotiating with anyone. Our voice is not heard in parliament, which amounts to our gross abuse.”

Speaking to the media, Zartaj Gul, parliamentary leader of the Sunni Ittehad Council, said, “We are not given opportunity to speak, we are not heard in parliament. I am grateful for the coverage provided by the private independent media”.

Referring to PTI founder Chairman Imran Khan, she regretted the “top leader of Muslim Ummah” was in jail today. “The reason for sending the founder of PTI to jail is that he cannot be confronted politically. This voice will not be suppressed and InshaAllah our leader will be soon outside,” she said.

Meanwhile, PTI leaders have called the suspension of their colleague MNA Sanaullah Mastikhel unjustified. Barrister Gohar said, “We will remember the suspension of Sanaullah Mastikhel and will not let the government forget it.” Talking to the media outside the Parliament House, he said that such words are used in emotion, mistakes are made. “Mastikhel has been in the assembly for 22 years and has never said such a wrong thing.”

He clarified they are not justifying the words of Mastikhel but he should be suspended for a day or two. “Such an important proceeding is taking place in the House, if the government cannot pass the Finance Bill, it falls apart. Voting in the House is very important here. We urge not to suspend the MNA for the whole session,” he said.

Barrister Gohar said that Mastikhel has been suspended for the entire session, on which protests will be held inside and outside parliament on Sunday.

Opposition member Sheikh Waqas Akram said that one million people were deprived of representation by suspending Mastikhel in the important session of the budget. “It is condemnable as a non-issue has been made such an issue,” he said.