LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers and supporters on Thursday welcomed the relief extended to party chief Imran Khan by the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The party cancelled its scheduled protests and announced a gathering at Liberty Roundabout to welcome Supreme Court’s order declaring Imran Khan’s arrest from Islamabad High Court as illegal. The party leaders and workers also announced offering funeral prayers for all party workers, who died during clashes.

However, the party spokesman could not ascertain till late night whether the party workers should reach Liberty Roundabout and offer funeral prayers or not.

The party leaders and workers also expressed their jubilation over the release of Imran Khan in different parts of the city as well as in other cities across the country.

The PTI has proclaimed that it will announce its political strategy after consultation with the party leadership. It stated the PTI believed in peaceful political struggle and expected that all state institutions would ensure Mr Khan’s security as per Supreme Court orders.

Meanwhile, PTI Central Punjab president Dr Yasmin Rashid in a video message lambasted the IG Police Dr Usman Anwar for passing derogatory remarks against her and added that she was a staunch advocate of peaceful protests as a matter of right.

Asserting that the PTI will continue peaceful protests for the protection of the Constitution and democracy in the country, Dr Rashid said the first-day videos, available on social media, explained that she was stopping everybody from destroying any public or private property. “Those were your Gullu Butts in the police that entered the PTI protest and destroyed public and private property to create anarchy,” she said and went on to say that people like you had destroyed Pakistan’s peace. “Your (IGP) commitment is towards Pakistan and not towards any political government,” the PTI leader added.

Dr Rashid also chided PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz for her demand of “level playing field” and added that now she was labelling PTI as a terrorist organisation. She said the incumbent ‘fascist’ federal government was committing excesses against people of Pakistan that had no example in the history of Pakistan. “The PTI workers always staged protests in a peaceful manner and will continue doing so,” she added.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2023