TOBA TEK SINGH: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Zartaj Gul has expressed her desire that the situation in the country may not reach the point of launching a civil disobedience movement, as it is an extreme measure.

She was speaking to media persons outside an anti-terrorism court (ATC) here on Wednesday, where she had come for court appearance.

She claimed that if the PTI founder Imran Khan gave a call for civil disobedience, the nation would abide by it.

She said the PTI’s offer for a dialogue and formation of a committee for the purpose by its founder should not be considered as the party’s weakness. The government should honour this offer and sit on a table with the PTI to settle all the issues, including “manipulation of elections’ results,” she added.

She said the PTI has been demanding since long that a judicial commission should be formed to inquire into allegations of excesses being committed against the party.

Ms Gul said hundreds of innocent PTI activists were in jails, who had gone to Islamabad on November 24. “We have only one question why our people were shot at,” she said.

She alleged that the PTI’s 12 unarmed activists were shot dead in D Chowk, Islamabad, on Nov 26 and their bodies were handed over to their families after four days.

Ms Gul also alleged that the families of the deceased party workers were forced to give statement that their loved ones died in accidents.

She said that a conspiracy was being hatched to “eliminate the biggest political party of the country.”

ATC: Anti Terrorism Court judge Javed Iqbal Sheikh adjourned on Wednesday hearing of four May 9 riots’ cases until Dec 23, Jan 6, Jan 7 and Jan 9 involving Gul and other PTI activists.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2024