LAHORE: PPP women workers held a demonstration outside the press club on Saturday against, what they termed, the PTI government’s mistreatment of their leader Faryal Talpur.

Led by Samina Khalid Ghurki, a good number of PPP workers and office-bearers participated in the demonstration.

Holding banners and placards to express solidarity with Ms Talpur, who is also a sister of former president Asif Ali Zardari, they chanted slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan for ‘showing no respect to women’.

Addressing the protesters, Ms Ghurki said Imran government’s main focus was political victimisation of the opposition leaders, instead of Kashmir issue. “The way Faryal Talpur was shifted to Adiala Jail from hospital against the advice of the doctors was deplorable. The Imran Khan government has no respect for women. We will not remain silent over mistreatment of women,” she added.

Ms Talpur, who is in custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), was shifted to the Adiala Jail from Polyclinic Hospital, Islamabad, last Sunday. She was under house arrest since June 14 after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected her bail in connection with a case of alleged money laundering through fake accounts. She was shifted to the Polyclinic Hospital after her condition had deteriorated.

The PPP leaders, including its chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari strongly condemned the move and asked PM Khan under what law a female prisoner was shifted to jail at midnight against the advice of doctors.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2019