Defense Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday challenged the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to “stick to its civil disobedience movement and not run away” following the failure of its “Do or Die” protest in Islamabad.
“I challenge them. [PTI] That their call for civil disobedience will fail. […] No one will burn their utility bills,” the Muslim League (N) leader said on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday.
Imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan, in a post on X, warned the government that if their demands – a judicial inquiry on May 9, 2023, riots and a crackdown on PTI protesters on November 26 and its A “civil disobedience” movement would be launched in case of release. Political prisoners are not visited.
The ousted prime minister also formed a five-member negotiating committee comprising Umar Ayub Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Salman Akram Raja and Asad Qaiser.
He said the committee would discuss two points with the federal government – the release of “political prisoners” facing trial and the formation of a judicial commission to probe the events of May 9, 2023 and against PTI protesters. Late night crackdown. On November 26
A highly publicized PTI protest in Islamabad, aimed at securing the release of PTI’s founder who has been behind bars for over a year, followed a midnight government crackdown on protesters. After which the party hastily returned.
Responding to the PTI’s allegations regarding the late-night crackdown, the defense minister – in a speech today – said that none of the relatives of the 12 protesters, whom the former ruling party had claimed, had turned up. What happened was that they were killed.
“Making such allegations without proof is an insult to the collective consciousness,” he added.
He said that PTI is affected by internal division and each leader is giving different statements. Bushra Bibi too [the wife of PTI founder] He said the PTI leaders ran away and left him.
Additionally, he said, PTI workers also attacked the vehicle of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, when he tried to “escape”. “It is also on record that the guards of Gandapur opened fire on the workers.”
“The third time, their [PTI] Attack on Islamabad failed now he has announced civil disobedience movement,” he said, adding that the party had given the same call ten years ago – when Imran had burnt utility bills on a container during the 2014 sit-in.
Asif said no one “answered his call then and no one will now”, challenging the party founded by Imran Khan to maintain its stance on the movement. “That [PTI] Reality check will see how many Pakistanis are with them.
He also accused the PTI of fueling provincialism and said it was former dictator Ayub Khan who was primarily responsible for creating Bangladesh and now his descendants are playing the “provincial card”.
“First serve and deliver your province and then talk of provincialism,” he said, criticizing the PTI for stoking hatred and creating division.
‘Why were the shots fired’?
Speaking on the NA floor, opposition leader Umar Ayub slammed the authorities for the former ruling party’s “direct firing on peaceful protesters” during a late-night crackdown on November 26.
“12 of our workers were killed. […] We want to know why the peaceful protesters were fired upon,” he said, adding that 200 activists are missing and more than 5,000 party members have been arrested.
He claimed that PTI’s peaceful protest did not cause any destruction. He further said that not a single pot was broken during the protest. Future generations will continue to ask why the shots were fired.
Ayub also called for the formation of an impartial judicial commission to investigate why peaceful protesters were fired upon. Model Town and November 26 Blood continues. [Prime Minister] Shahbaz Sharif has a hand.