PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Ali Amin Gandapur on Wednesday reiterated that the ongoing movement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will continue until the call of the founder (to call it off).
Speaking at a news conference along with opposition leader in National Assembly Umar Ayub, he said PTI remains committed to peaceful protests, even in the face of severe repression.
“We are peace-loving and law-abiding people. Despite heavy shelling and physical torture, we exercised restraint.”
Gandapur condemned alleged state brutality against PTI supporters, claiming that bullets were fired at peaceful protestors, leading to ‘hundreds being injured, many killed, and thousands arrested’.
He criticised the lack of justice for the PTI and its leaders. He said cases were fabricated against the PTI leadership. “Our mandate was stolen. Our leader is in jail in concocted cases. Our voters were tortured. We demand our rights but we are not allowed to protest peacefully.”
He said as we do not get justice from courts, we have only one choice, to protest without permission.
Gandapur made it clear that the sit-in is ongoing and it will continue as it is launched on the call of (Imran] Khan.
He said we were going peacefully. The question is why were we shot at? Whenever we got hold of a policeman or security force official, we let him go. Every family here has a member serving in the police, Rangers, FC or army.”
He said when a chief minister could not get justice, how common people can get justice. He assured the families of arrested workers that he would secure their release.
However, Omar Ayub condemned what he called bid on the life of Bushra Bibi and the chief minister of a province when they were in federal capital.”
It may be noted that Gandapur reached Mansehra along with Bushra Bibi and party General Secretary Omar Ayub from Islamabad late night when a grand operation was launched to disperse activists who were on a sit-in in Islamabad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024