ISLAMABAD: The situation remained relatively calm in the federal capital on Sunday, after intense clashes between the law enforcement agencies and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters over the previous two days, as the government reopened roads and restored mobile and internet services in the twin cities — but the “disappearance” of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur a day ago remained a mystery—drawing strong reaction from the PTI.
The cellular services and roads were blocked on Friday following PTI’s call to protest at the D-Chowk against the controversial constitutional amendment, and for the release of Imran Khan.
The private schools also announced to reopen their respective branches on Monday (today) that were closed on Friday.
At least 30 arrested as govt moves to stop PTI protesters marching towards D-Chowk in Islamabad
The main highways and motorways connecting Islamabad with other parts of the country were also reopened.
Even though police and rangers managed to push the protestors from D-Chowk following allegedly unprecedented use of tear gas and shelling on Friday and Saturday, scores of PTI protestors were still present at different points of Jinnah Avenue amidst the reports that PTI leadership instructed the party’s union councils, tehsil and district office-bearers countrywide to be ready to move to Islamabad if so instructed by the party’s high command.
The situation turned tense again Sunday evening after the PTI supporters tried to recapture the D-Chowk with police resorting to intense tear gas shelling again — as the shops that were reopened in Blue Area on Sunday, were abruptly closed, due to intense shelling by police and rangers in the evening. The PTI has already announced that D-Chowk protest has not been called off and it would continue.
A senior PTI leader, requesting anonymity, told Business Recorder that the party leadership decided that party members from across the countries would be directed to assemble in the federal capital if the National Assembly/Senate sessions were summoned to get the controversial constitutional amendment passed by the Parliament.
In addition, the whereabouts of the CM KP remained unknown on Sunday too. The PTI leadership announced on Sunday that countrywide protests would be launched if Gandapur was not recovered in 24 hours.
Gandapur had led a mammoth caravan of PTI activists from Peshawar to Islamabad—after removing all the barricades installed by the federal authorities to block his way. However, in a dramatic twist, just after the CM KP reached the Jinnah Avenue, and was almost at the protest destination—D Chowk — he told the media that he was heading to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House.
Shortly after the CM reached the KP House, that is hardly a kilometre drive from the D-Chowk, rangers allegedly stormed the KP House and took away Gandapur. Since then, the CM KP, a close aide of PTI supremo and former prime minister Imran Khan, is said to be “missing.”
The PTI leadership has alleged that the security establishment kept Gandapur in illegal confinement, and demanded his release immediately. Some senior PTI leaders stated that Gandapur went to the KP House to get some rest after his tiresome two-day engagements related to the D-Chowk protest, from where he was abducted. But some PTI circles believe that Gandapur staged his own “abduction” since, according to them, he did not want to increase hostility with the security establishment.
A statement from Gandapur’s spokesman is also doing rounds suggesting that the protest was called off after Gandapur reached the destination, and that he went to the KP House where food was arranged for the PTI workers before Gandapur was kidnapped.
Other reports indicated that Gandapur was holding talks with senior intelligence officials at a compound in KP House, and he was detained after refusing to announce calling off the protest, saying it was Imran Khan’s prerogative to call off the protest.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi expressed ignorance regarding the whereabouts of the CM KP. He said CM KP had “escaped somewhere” from the KP House. “The police would have arrested him had he been there,” Naqvi told the media on Sunday.
He disclosed having received a footage showing Gandpur escaping from the KP House. However, later it was revealed that the person in the said footage was not Gandapur but KP minister Pakhtoonyar Khan.
Meanwhile, funeral prayer of a police constable Hameed Shah was held at the D- Chowk, who, the police said, succumbed to injuries at a hospital, following clashes with the protestors. Naqvi, along with senior police and other law enforcement officials, attended the funeral prayer.
In Peshawar, the PTI’s stronghold, the KP Assembly postponed its emergency session under mysterious circumstances. The session was convened to take up the issue of Gandpur’s alleged abduction.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024