ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has urged the National Assembly to ensure justice for his party, warning against compelling them to return to the streets in protest. Speaking on the floor of the lower house of parliament on Wednesday, Barrister Gohar criticised the state’s handling of the peaceful protests, highlighting alleged injustices and violence faced by PTI sup-porters.
“Our people were wronged… bullets were fired at them. In any civilised nation, such actions against peaceful protesters are unthinkable,” he said.
The PTI leader called for the formation of an independent commission to investigate the events of May 9. He also urged lawmakers to address institutional failures, claiming the assembly had yet to pro-tect its members and their families adequately.
“Oppression grows but ultimately fades away,” he said, emphasising the need for accountability and reform to prevent recurring injustices. Gohar reiterated that the PTI’s protests were peaceful, with no evidence of weapons among demonstrators.
While the party has not announced to take to the streets once again, it has said that it would begin a civil disobedience movement later this month if the government does not accept its demands, includ-ing the repealing of the 26th Constitutional Amendment.
Meanwhile, PTI’s senior leader Omar Ayub, during a media briefing outside the Parliament House, an-nounced that a request for Senator Ejaz Chaudhry’s production order had been submitted to the Sen-ate today.
Ayub demanded the release of PTI’s founder Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and other party leaders, emphasising the need for judicial inquiries into the events of May 9 and November 24.
Criticising Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Ayub remarked: “Khawaja Asif has no arguments except for personal attacks.”
Highlighting the casualties and missing persons, the PTI leader said: “Twelve of our people have been killed, over 200 are missing, and 5,000 have been detained.”
Ayub, the NA opposition leader, further criticised the government for its lack of accountability, ques-tioning: “Who fired the bullets, and why? The government has provided no answers.”
He also reiterated PTI’s demand for the release of all detained party members, including Hassan Niazi and those undergoing military trials. “We call for the immediate release of the PTI founder and all in-carcerated leaders,” he asserted, reaffirming the party’s stance against unjust detentions.
During the National Assembly session earlier, PPP leader Naveed Qamar raised concerns over the ab-sence of federal ministers during the question hour.
“We noticed no minister was present to provide answers,” Qamar remarked, adding that parliamen-tary secretaries could respond when necessary. He urged the chair to issue a ruling mandating that only federal ministers answer queries. –Agencies
