LAHORE: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said the crackdown initiated against the PTI in light of the May 9 demonstrations has the opposite of the desired effect, as all it was “doing is adding to sympathy for [the] PTI and increasing its vote bank”.

In a series of tweets, the PTI chairman lashed out at the government for forcing the party members to quit the PTI and shared ‘self-explanatory’ videos of a former lawmaker as evidence for these ‘forced divorces’.

In a couple of videos of former PTI MPA Saleem Sarwar Jorra, the party leader could be seen complaining that the law enforcement agencies were not allowing him to seek treatment at a hospital.

In a video, PTI former MPA Saleem Sarwar Jorra explained that the doctors at Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Hospital, Gujrat, had advised him to undergo a surgical procedure in the morning but later they wanted to discharge him from the hospital under alleged pressure.

Another five PTI men to face military courts

In another video, the PTI leader was being pushed to board an ambulance as he chanted slogans: “Imran Khan Zindabad” and “I love you, Imran Khan”.

Sharing the videos, the PTI chief wrote on his Twitter handle that these videos were “self-explanatory that the fascist government was implementing forced divorces through every shameless means possible”. He said these ‘fascist tactics’ would also widen the gulf between the people of Pakistan and the state institutions.

Military trial

The Multan police on Wednesday handed over five suspects to a commanding officer for allegedly attacking military installations in the cantonment area.

The PTI workers and office-bearers were taken into custody on the charge of rioting in Multan Cantonment on May 9.

According to the police, action will be taken against the suspects under Pakistan Army Act, 1952. Those handed over to the military are Khurram Liaquat, Khurram Shahzad, Zahid Khan, Ishaq Bhutta and Hamid Ali.

Violence erupted in the country on May 9 in protest against the arrest of Mr Khan in a graft case from the premises of Islamabad High Court. Civil and military installations were vandalised during the rioting and hundreds of suspects were picked up.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2023