Gohar meets Imran, doesn’t own ‘hundreds of deaths’ claim

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan distanced himself from those claiming deaths of hundreds of party workers during the recent protest in Islamabad, and made it clear that 12 PTI activists were killed, which was a matter of grave concern for the party leadership.

Talking to the media outside Adiala Jail on Monday, after having a meeting with the PTI founder for the first time after the recent protest fiasco, he said: “We disassociate ourselves from those who are giving figures of hundreds of casualties during the D-Chowk protest.

“We told the PTI founder about martyrdom of the police, Rangers and 12 members of the party, and he expressed deep concern on it.” He said the founder expressed sorrow and condolences over the martyrdom of workers and officials. He asked the party to maintain unity.

About the protest venue on November 29, the PTI chairman said their purpose was neither to come to D-Chowk nor the party leaders were asked to do so. He contended that people were only talking about Sangjani and D-Chowk just to divert attention from the “martyrdom of workers”.

Gohar said they met the party supremo and briefed him about the PTI protest and the related events. He said Imran Khan asked for raising the D-Chowk firing issue in the Senate and National Assembly. He said whoever fired the bullets was wrong; an investigation should be conducted into it. “From whichever side the bullets were fired, those should not have been fired. Our number of arrested workers is the same as officially reported,” he added.

He said the party founder ordered to push for convening a session of the National Assembly. He said Imran Khan was aware of the hardships that the members of the Punjab Assembly and the members of the National Assembly from the Punjab province had gone through.

Gohar said “the party holds itself accountable and does not believe in audio leaks”, adding that the party founder would announce the future course of action later. Barrister Gohar also maintained that it was not necessary for every leader to reach the protest site and that all the leaders were in contact with each other and were doing their own work.

He clarified that there was false news about the health of the PTI founder. He is completely fine in Adiala Jail; the news being spread about his health was false; the news about his absence from Adiala was also false. The party founder was provided information about the protest and other matters, as he had no idea about what had happened.

Gohar also pointed out that he had five meetings with the KP chief minister, (but) could not say anything about the negotiations with the establishment at the moment. He said the PTI founder expressed confidence in the entire party leadership and noted opponents were creating division in the party ranks.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Monday decided to replace both its members in the Judicial Commission. It was learnt that the PTI founder had ordered for removal of opposition leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz-from the membership of the Judicial Commission, after which it had been decided to replace both the legislators.

Shibli is leader of the opposition in Senate, while Omar Ayub represents the opposition in the National Assembly. Party Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali or Latif Khosa is likely to be nominated as a member in the commission, that appoints judges to the higher judiciary, in place of Omar Ayub.

Similarly, the founder of the party has accorded approval to nomination of PTI parliamentary leader in Senate Ali Zafar in place of Shibli Faraz. Separately, some central and provincial leaders of the PTI have decided to thrash out a white paper against the central leadership, including Barrister Gohar and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.

They allege that the central leaders ‘go missing’ from the scene at critical junctures of the party’s protests or are not seen among the party workers, sources within the party claimed. They contended that many in the party face the authorities’ wrath and cases while the central leaders remain ‘untouched’.