Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Imran Khan, on Thursday said that he would not let the killers of his party worker Usman Mirza, who was killed on May 11 in Rawalpindi allegedly by rival political party workers, to go scot-free. He stated this while talking to reporters after condoling with the family of late Usman, who was the sole bread earner winner of his family, upon his arrival from Lahore after weeks-long bed rest following falling off a lift during an election rally.
"We'll not leave any stone unturned in bringing the killers of Usman to book as he was a committed party worker as well as a sole bread earner of his family. The killers could not go scot-free," he added. He said that he had directly flown to Rawalpindi after doctors allowed him to travel, and the PTI stands by the grieved family of Shaheed Usman Mirza. He claimed that the PTI worker was shot dead on Election Day by aides of PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi.
Imran stated that Shaheed Usman was killed for his firm commitment with PTI and its agenda, adding his blood would not go in vain as the youth will not forget the sacrifices he had rendered for the party. "We will closely monitor the investigation process and I'm dead sure the killers will be brought to book otherwise the party will chalk out its strategy as this kind of barbarism is not acceptable," he added.
Imran also said that he decided to retain NA-56 only due to Usman otherwise he was going to keep NA-71 Mianwali - his home constituency. He offered 'fateha' for the departed soul and expressed solidarity with his family. Later in the day, PTI deputy leader in National Assembly Shah Mahmood Qureshi along with Dr Arif Alvi and Dr Shireen Mazari called on opposition leader Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah in his office.
It was an informal discussion focused on the budget and devising a co-ordinated strategy for the opposition parties in the upcoming budget debate. There was unanimity over which ministries would be the focus of cut motions. Meanwhile, the sources within PTI said that after offering condolence to the family of his party worker in Rawalpindi, Imran Khan left for Galiyat to spend some days due to hot weather in the city on doctors' advice.