Imran Khan’s PTI Vows to Continue Protests After Leaders’ Arrests
Islamabad, Pakistan – The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has pledged to continue its anti-government movement. This announcement came a day after several PTI leaders were arrested from Parliament House in a police crackdown.
Press Conference in Peshawar
During a press conference in Peshawar, PTI leader Salman Akram Raja stated, “There should be no misunderstanding as people have stood up.” Other PTI leaders, including Omar Ayub Khan, Asad Qaiser, Azam Swati, and Salman Akram Raja, were also present.
Raja emphasized that some individuals are influencing the country’s political and democratic process and vowed not to let anyone suppress the voice of the people of Pakistan. He defended the PTI leaders’ speeches at a rally held in Islamabad on September 8, stating that the political power show had a different environment.
Condemnation of Arrests
The opposition party condemned the arrests of PTI leaders, including some Members of the National Assembly (MNA), during the police crackdown in Islamabad. Reporters protested against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s remarks against journalists during his speech at the PTI’s Islamabad rally on September 9.
Omar Ayub Khan, Leader of Opposition in Pakistan’s National Assembly, criticized the coalition government for trying to stop PTI’s public gathering in Islamabad. He accused the ruling parties of making false allegations against PTI leaders and detaining them. He called September 9 a “black day” and claimed that masked individuals whisked away several party leaders, including MNA Sher Afzal Marwat and Shoaib Shaheen.
PTI’s Future Plans
PTI senior leader Asad Qaiser announced that the party would fight for its rights on the streets and continue its legal battle in the courts. He called for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan and other arrested party leaders. Qaiser also called for fresh elections and labeled the current government as “illegitimate.” He suggested that contempt of court cases should be registered against the Islamabad police chief and commissioner for placing obstacles along the rally route in Islamabad.
On September 10, PTI held a core committee session at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar. The committee decided to launch nationwide protests starting Friday. PTI lawmakers plan to raise the issue on the assembly floor.
Meanwhile, PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who was arrested on Monday, was released by the Islamabad police as the case against him was discharged. PTI leaders have been accused of attacking police officials and violating the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024, during the public gathering on Sunday.
Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq reprimanded the Islamabad Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi for the arrests and demanded the immediate release of PTI leaders. He called for presenting CCTV footage of all entry points of the parliament and signaled to register a case against those involved in the arrests. Sadiq pledged that no compromise would be made on the parliament’s dignity.
Doubts Revealed
Imran Khan -: Imran Khan is a famous cricketer turned politician who was the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He is the leader of the PTI party.
PTI -: PTI stands for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which is a political party in Pakistan. It was founded by Imran Khan.
Protests -: Protests are when people gather together to show that they are unhappy about something and want change. In this case, PTI is protesting against the government.
Arrests -: Arrests happen when the police take someone into custody because they believe that person has done something wrong. PTI leaders were arrested by the police.
Police crackdown -: A police crackdown is when the police take strong action to control or stop illegal activities. Here, it means the police arrested PTI leaders.
Coalition government -: A coalition government is when two or more political parties join together to form the government. In Pakistan, different parties have come together to govern.
False allegations -: False allegations are claims that someone has done something wrong, but those claims are not true. PTI leaders say the government is making false allegations against them.
Nationwide protests -: Nationwide protests are protests that happen all over the country, not just in one place. PTI plans to have protests all across Pakistan.
Fresh elections -: Fresh elections mean having new elections to choose leaders again. PTI wants new elections to be held in Pakistan.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan -: Barrister Gohar Ali Khan is a lawyer and a leader in the PTI party. He was arrested but later released.
National Assembly Speaker -: The National Assembly Speaker is the person who leads the meetings in the National Assembly, which is a part of the government where laws are made. Ayaz Sadiq is the current Speaker.
