-Fawad Chaudhry berates government for using “violence” against PTI
-Says such brutality was not witnessed even during the regimes of dictators
-Adds gathering footage and will raise it on International Forums
-Reiterates PTI has no intention of returning to National Assembly
By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said Tuesday that his party is gathering videos of “torture” against party workers — during “Azadi March” — so that they can be shared with the United Nations and other human rights organisations.
In a press conference flanked by PTI leader Hammad Azhar, the ex-information minister said male police personnel entered the residences of party leaders and “misbehaved” with women.
“We are gathering footage of the incidents and will raise it on international forums. Such brutality was not witnessed even during the regimes of dictators,” the PTI leader said.
But despite making continuous claims of holding a peaceful march towards the federal capital, PTI Chairman Imran Khan admitted a day earlier that the protesters that accompanied him during the “Azadi March” were carrying weapons with them.
Commenting on en masse resignation, Fawad said that the party did not have any intention of returning to the National Assembly, asserting that the incumbent speaker did not have the authority to review the resignations of party members after they had been accepted by the previous speaker.
“They have taken possession of the assembly and we don’t have any intention of returning” he said, adding, the party considered parliament to be “occupied”.
“We are of the opinion that the NA speaker has accepted the resignations of our lawmakers and this speaker does not have the authority to review [the decision].”
Meanwhile, party leader Farrukh Habib reiterated that PTI lawmakers had resigned from the lower house of parliament. “At the time, Qasim Suri had issued a notification accepting the resignations,” he said. “There is no need for further action,” Habib said, alleging that the resignations were illegally being postponed.
PTI lawmakers had resigned en masse from NA on April 11, two days after former prime minister Imran Khan was ousted from the top office after the no-confidence motion moved by the joint opposition in the parliament against him succeeded. The resignations were accepted by the former acting speaker, Qasim Suri, and a notification to this effect was also issued by the NA secretariat.
Taking a jibe at the incumbent government, Chaudhry said during the presser he thinks that a “New Delhi-Tel Aviv-Washington nexus” was working in Pakistan — as he referred to the recent meeting of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s meeting with a delegation, which included Pakistani-Americans.
“The delegation had gone with the government’s approval. Through the nexus of Tel Aviv and Washington, India was getting closer to the government,” the PTI leader said.
Earlier this month, a delegation, which included Pakistanis and Pakistani Americans, travelled to Israel, to promote interfaith harmony. The visit drew sharp criticism in Pakistan, where Opposition leaders accused the government of arranging the trip in order to pave the way to recognise Israel.
Foreign Office quickly rubbished such reports, explaining that the trip was arranged by a foreign NGO and not Pakistan. It further added that the country’s position on the Jewish state remains clear and unambiguous.
Pakistani-American Anila Ali, who led the delegation, told Geo.tv that she was very thankful to the Imran Khan government for allowing Fishel BenKhald to travel to Jerusalem so that he could pray at his holy site.
Following the sharp criticism, the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), according to Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, sacked journalist Ahmed Quraishi for going to Israel along with the delegation.
