LAHORE: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Zaman Kaira has challenged Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan to go home if he cannot get justice from his own party’s administration in Punjab.

“You should go home [resign from the Punjab government] if you are that helpless that you cannot get a case registered [on the Wazirabad incident],” Mr Kaira, a PPP leader, told reporters on Sunday.

He criticised Mr Khan for blaming the federal government and army officers for the shooting incident and calling for the resignations of the prime minister, interior minister, and an army officer. Mr Kaira said that because the Punjab government was responsible for providing security for the long march, the Parvez Elahi government or the relevant minister, and police officer should resign, and not the federal authorities. He, however, added that providing foolproof security for rallies and processions was difficult.

He stated that the three people named by Mr Khan in the incident might be held liable only if the PTI leader had strong evidence that the fires were shot at their behest. He asked Mr Khan to turn over the evidence to the police and judges.

He praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s decision to request that the chief justice of Pakistan form a full court commission to investigate the Wazirabad incident as well as the murder of anchorperson Arshad Sharif, and he suggested that Mr Khan also form a joint investigation team to look into the attack.

Regarding letting the PTI long march into Islamabad, the PPP leader said the federal government has no objection as long as the event was organised within the parameters established by the court and that the PTI would not be allowed to clog the federal capital’s roads and make residents’ life miserable.

Regarding the possibility of the leadership of the ruling coalition visiting Mr Khan, who has been released from the hospital, Mr Kaira said he had considered doing so, but those being blamed for the attempted murder would be reluctant to visit the accuser’s home out of concern for verbal abuse.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2022