Imran Khan Warns Pak Govt on Crackdown Against PTI Workers For May 9 Violence


Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the government is mulling a possible ban on Imran Khan’s PTI
(AP File)

The 70-year-old leader and PTI chief said fundamental rights have ceased to exist in Pakistan and warned the government that one day tables will turn

After two top Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders quit the party, former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said PTI leaders are leaving politics due to pressure and warned the government that one day tables will turn.

The 70-year-old leader and PTI chief said fundamental rights have ceased to exist in Pakistan.

“Fundamentals rights have ceased to exist in Pakistan. If you think that now you have a license to kill, you must know that one day tables will turn. Whoever is ready to bend the knees in front of the power, will only survive here in this country. PTI leaders are leaving politics due to pressure… you can’t kill the idea of PTI,” he said.

“People have now got the idea of Azadi. You cannot kill that idea. You cannot withhold information in the times of social media,” he added.

The former premier made it clear that he won’t accept “defeat” and said, “I am ready for whatever they will do.”

Earlier in the day, Imran’s his close aide and former information minister Fawad Chaudhry resigned from his party.  Chaudhry’s resignation came a day after former minister for human rights Shireen Mazari quit 70-year-old Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and condemned the actions of the former prime minister’s supporters who attacked and torched sensitive defence installations across Pakistan on May 9.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the government is mulling a possible ban on Imran Khan’s PTI following the attacks by his supporters on military installations after the former prime minister’s arrest.

Asif said that Khan was still reluctant to condemn the attacks by his supporters on military and civilian installations. “A decision (to ban PTI) has not been taken yet, but a review is surely underway, he said.

He, however, said that the matter will be referred to the Parliament for approval if the government finally decides to ban the former ruling party. The minister said that the former premier considered the army as his adversary. “His (Khan’s) entire politics was done in the lap of the army and today he has suddenly decided to stand against it,” Asif said.

On May 9, violent protests erupted after paramilitary Rangers arrested Khan from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises. His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s House, the Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad in response to Khan’s arrest.

The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also stormed by the mob for the first time. Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan’s party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel. Thousands of Khan’s supporters were arrested following the violence that the powerful Army described as a “dark day” in the history of the country.

(With PTI inputs)



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