ISLAMABAD: The PTI public rally in Lahore that ended in police action against participants drew strong condemnation, with party leaders and rights groups calling out the interim government and the Punjab police for their short-sighted approach and ‘fascist’ approach.

The treatment meted out to party workers was lambasted by PTI chief Imran Khan and a number of party leaders who likened the treatment meted out to them to ‘fascism’. On its official Twitter account, the PTI shared multiple videos of police violence and asked, “Is democracy still intact or it has been suspended.”

“Shameful treatment of citizens of Pakistan continues at the hands of police led by the imported regime. Today’s visuals are nothing less than shameful!” the official handle in a video wherein the police were beating up a worker of the PTI. The party also compared the violence with that of May 25 crackdown when police had detained PTI workers in midnight raids to foil the party’s march on Islamabad.

PTI leader Asad Umar said, “Look at the state of their fear of Imran Khan; fascism is being unleashed on innocent citizens owing to a fear of a rally.”

Fawad compares Punjab admin to ‘Gen Dyer’; Amnesty decries use of colonial law to stifle protests

PTI senior leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi also condemned the treatment meted out to his party supporters and that the government had not even spared the PTI women on International Women’s Day. In a video shared by the former minister, two women were seen complaining that the police had torn up their clothes and destroyed their vehicles.

Farrukh Habib, another PTI leader, shared a video aired by Bol News wherein the police could be seen smashing the windshields of vehicles belonging to the PTI supporters. “This is state oppression and repression,” Mr Habib said, equating Wednesday’s events with the Model Town incident that resulted in the deaths of 14 people in 2014.

In a tweet, Fawad Chaudhry welcomed the announcement of the election schedule in Punjab by the Election Commission. He also urged the commission to take notice of “shelling and baton charge by order of General Dyer on the election rally in Lahore and impose restrictions on the powers of the caretaker government”.

Party leader Shireen Mazari said, “Punjab police today reverting to its tradition of being perpetrators of violence and destruction. Destroying parked vehicles when no one was in them - sheer hooliganism by Punjab police against PTI workers especially women to prevent a peaceful election rally.”

The violence was also condemned by the rights organisations.

In a statement, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan termed the use of colonial-era law to suppress the protest as a short-sighted approach. “The government’s crackdown on PTI workers and imposition of Section 144 in Lahore was short-sighted. There is now an acute need for both the government and opposition to hold a political dialogue, lower the political temperature and find a solution to this perpetual impasse,” the rights group said in a statement.

Similarly, Amnesty International also came forward in condemnation of the violence. “Authorities in Pakistan has placed a blanket ban on protests in Lahore. The authorities have used a draconian colonial-era law to crush dissent hours before several protests, including the #AuratMarch,” the global rights outfit tweeted.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2023