LAHORE: Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar has demanded that the government form judicial commissions to probe into the details behind the May 9 as well as Sept 9 clashes and arrests after the Islamabad Jalsa by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

At a news conference at Lahore Press Club on Wednesday, Mr Bhachar said the National Assembly speaker knew about the arrests of PTI MNAs from the Parliament House and was acknowledged by the chief whip in the lower house.

He said the Parliament was a symbol of state but it was degraded in a bid to commit excesses against the country’s single largest party. He said the NA speaker’s non-action shows his helplessness as he only suspended four officials of the lower house.

He said PTI’s 11 MNAs were still in the custody of police.

Mr Bhachar said the PTI’s senior leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Ijaz Chaudhry, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmood Rasheed and Omar Sarfraz Cheema, were in jails for the past 16 months and their cases had not reached even the trial stage.

He warned that the incumbent rulers would soon face the same fate.

The opposition leader said the PTI parliamentarians in the parliament as well as in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had decided to stage a peaceful protest demonstration across the country on Friday (tomorrow).

“We will continue protesting for our democratic rights,” he added.

Meanwhile, PTI Punjab acting president Hammad Azhar held a meeting with JI Secretary General Ameerul Azeem and discussed the launch of a joint struggle against unannounced martial law in the country as well as restoration of the Constitution and democracy.

Mr Azhar said all democratic forces would play their role to eliminate the existing dictatorship. He said the PTI would organise a country-wide protest on Friday against the excesses committed by the rulers, reclaiming the stolen mandate and the release of all PTI leaders, including founder chairman Imran Khan. He said the party would continue facing the incumbent fake rulers at every front.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2024