- Blasts Punjab police for ‘murdering’ unarmed worker, arresting scores others
- PTI accuses Sanaullah of encouraging bloodshed to postpone elections
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan lashed out at the Punjab police for brutality and “custodial murder” of a supporter, Ali Bilal, and vowed that they would file cases against its chief and head of its Lahore wing, among others, for the murder.
In a strong reaction to the event, Khan said: “Ali Bilal unarmed, our dedicated and passionate PTI worker murdered by Punjab police.”
“Shameful, this brutality on unarmed PTI workers who were coming to attend election rally. Pakistan is in the grip of murderous criminals. We will file cases against IG, CCPO and others for murder,” he added.
“Those who are supposed to protect me are the one who wants me dead”-@ImranKhanPTI #Fascist_PDM pic.twitter.com/eRla32bE6s
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 8, 2023
Sharing his video, Khan said: “This video clearly shows that Ali Bilal, also affectionately called Zille Shah, was alive when taken to the police station. So he was killed while in police custody — such is the murderous bent of the present regime and Punjab police.”
Ali Bilal unarmed & our dedicated & passionate PTI worker murdered by Punjab police. Shameful, this brutality on unarmed PTI workers who were coming to attend election rally. Pakistan is in the grip of murderous criminals. We will file cases against IG, CCPO & others for murder. pic.twitter.com/BLQZE1uejr
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 8, 2023
Ali Bilal aka Zille Shah participated in the PTI’s rally on Wednesday. In a clash with the police, he was hit by a baton on the head.
Earlier, Khan, during his address to the nation, after the crackdown on party workers, announced: “Stop everything. We are not taking out the rally that we were supposed to as, I am saddened to say, that all the moves the government are making are aimed at running away from elections.
“They’re petrified of Election. The government doesn’t want to hold elections”-@ImranKhanPTI #Fascist_PDM pic.twitter.com/j4YYypaikJ
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 8, 2023
“They are trying to ensure that chaos spreads and that is why I’m saying to my workers to finish it, we will not carry out the rally,” he said.
The PTI Chairman said that the imported government had launched a crackdown on PTI workers not for the sake of law and order but in an effort to avoid elections in the province.
This video clearly shows that Ali Bilal, also affectionately called Zille Shah, was alive when taken to police station. So he was killed while in police custody – such is the murderous bent of the present regime & Punjab police. pic.twitter.com/ZsNLa0eEWb
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 8, 2023
“We cannot give the government any excuse to delay the elections,” the PTI Chairman, calling on party workers to return to their homes. “They picked up and took away our people today as well around 100 workers for what reason?” he asked.
پی ٹی آئی کارکن شہید علی بلال کے والد صاحب کی چئیرمین عمران سے ملاقات 😭💔#PakistanUnderFascism pic.twitter.com/Didt5jGo5o
— Rehman Khan (@MRK_Views) March 8, 2023
The PTI chairman said that his party had launched its election campaign with hardly 55 days left for elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Under what law and in brazen contempt of the Supreme Court, the Punjab caretaker government uses massive police violence against unarmed workers to stop our planned rally?” he asked.
“The only job of caretakers is to ensure fair and free elections. What they are doing is an assault on rule of law, our Constitution and democracy. Above all, once the Supreme Court ruling is defied, it is now law of the jungle,” he said.
The police resorted to use of tear gas and also used water cannons to disperse the peaceful PTI workers, resulting in the death of one of the PTI workers. They also smashed the windows of the cars of the participants of the rally to spread fear and panic among the PTI workers.
However, they remained disciplined despite all the barbarity and brutality unleashed by the Punjab police.
Dear @UN, @Amnesty, @hrw and other international organizations please look into and address the concerning issue of police use of force on innocent people by the government. #HumanRights#Fascist_PDM pic.twitter.com/LfHIkg4YSj
— Zafar Ullah Wazir (@Zafaroo7) March 8, 2023
Earlier, violence flared in the Mall Road neighbourhood of central Lahore between police and supporters of the opposition party, wounding scores of workers, after the interim government of Mohsin Naqvi suspended public gatherings in the provincial capital hours before the opposition party was scheduled to take out a planned election rally.
The road leading to Zaman Park from The Mall was blocked with containers.
The PTI had announced a pro-judiciary rally and gave a call to its workers to gather at chief Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence.
Hours earlier, the Punjab government imposed Section 144 in the city for seven days, citing security concerns and warned the PTI workers against taking to the street. A heavy police contingent and water cannons have been moved near Zaman Park.
The provincial Home Department, through a notification, suspended “all kinds of protests, demonstrations and sit-ins” in Lahore for a period of seven days. The ban has been imposed in light of the recent “wave of terrorism and threat alerts”, it insisted.
آئین و قانون اور جمہویت کی بلادستی کے جرم میں ظلم و جبر اور بدترین فسطائیت کا ایک اور تاریک باب آج رقم کیا گیا۔
علی بلال کی شہادت ہمارے نظام عدل کے لیے بڑا سوالیہ نشان رہے گا!#Fascist_PDM pic.twitter.com/LvgOzqS0UL— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 8, 2023
According to the notification, the ban encompasses all activities that involve the gathering of people, including assemblies, gatherings, rallies, processions, and demonstrations.
Interestingly, despite the ban on demonstrations under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the Aurat March rally marking International Women’s Day was permitted to proceed.
— Maaz Khan (@Maaz_israr_khan) March 8, 2023
A senior leader from the party, Hammad Azhar, said police detained scores of their supporters ahead of the planned rally, which was to start in Zaman Park.
Police also swung batons and briefly fired tear gas on the road leading to Khan’s house to disperse his supporters. TV footage showed at least one large truck spraying water, scattering protesters.
اپنی عوام کی حفاظت کرنے والوں کا اپنی عوام پر بد ترین تشدد#Fascist_PDM pic.twitter.com/bExOfs2CXT
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 8, 2023
Videos shared by the party on its Twitter showed police officials smashed car windows.
Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of the party, tweeted that the ban on protests was “the new weapon of the fascist government” of Shehbaz Sharif and its “imperialist forces.”
کیا ملک میں ابھی جمہوریت ہے یا معطل کر دی گئی ہے؟ #Fascist_PDM pic.twitter.com/UprXOIYh4v
— PTI (@PTIofficial) March 8, 2023
“The people of Pakistan have always fought for their rights,” Chaudhry added.
The department has also sent a letter to PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid. “The leadership of PTI including Chairman PTI is also expected to address the general public/ participants at different places during the scheduled rally in Lahore today. It is also expected that a large number of people are likely to attend the said rally,” it said. The letter stated that the public gatherings are not advisable due to prevailing security situation of the country. “Furthermore, women march Is also going to be held In connection with International Women’s Day” which is likely to draw a large number of participants,” it said.
CENTRE DEFENDS CRACKDOWN
Meanwhile, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan held a press conference in Islamabad to defend the Naqvi government’s decision to impose Section 144 in the provincial capital.
He said that three simultaneous rallies were taking place in the same vicinity: the Aurat March, the Haya March of Jamaat-i-Islami, and the PTI’s election rally. The minister claimed that in such a situation, any incident could take place, prompting the government to impose Section 144 based on intelligence reports.
According to him, the party failed to share their rally route with authorities, leading the government to impose the restrictions. The minister also criticised Khan for claiming to be unable to walk in court while simultaneously planning a rally.
Sanaullah cited the decision of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to suspend Khan’s arrest warrant until March 13 and said that no further relief should be granted to the former prime minister. He called for Khan to be punished if he failed to appear in court.
Responding to Sanaullah, Azhar accused Naqvi and his supporters of “ending democracy” by banning political activities in the city during election season.
Speaking to the media outside Khan’s residence, the former minister criticised the caretaker government for hindering the election campaign instead of ensuring fair and free elections.
Claiming that Sanaullah and the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government “wanted bloodshed” in the city, he asked the party workers to remain peaceful, refrain from any clashes and stay where they were.
