President Alvi says “shocked” to see video of Imran’s arrest.
“Video shows the abuse of a former prime minister,” he says.
“Heart-wrenching, regrettable,” he terms ongoing situation.
In a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Arif Alvi Thursday deplored the manner in which Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was arrested inside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises.
“I would like to draw your attention to the way Imran Khan was arrested,” the president wrote in the letter two days after the PTI chief was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, which led to widespread deadly protests.
“The people of Pakistan and I were shocked to see the video of this incident. The video shows the abuse of a former prime minister. Imran Khan is a popular leader and the head of a major political party.”
He further added that law enforcement personnel had forcibly entered the Islamabad High Court, while the biometric process of Khan was going on.
Earlier, President Alvi on Twitter also condemned the “heart-wrenching and regrettable” situation the country has descended into.
The president said: “The way some miscreants have damaged public property, particularly government and military buildings, is condemnable.”
President Alvi tweeted: “I am alarmed, shocked & deeply disturbed over the current situation in the country arising out of the arrest & manhandling of the former PM Imran Khan. The loss of human lives as an aftermath is heart-wrenching, regrettable, unfortunate & highly condemnable.”
He further added that while the right to protest is a constitutional right of any person, it should remain “within the bounds of the law”.
“Protest is a constitutional right of every citizen of Pakistan but should always remain within the bounds of the law.
“The way some miscreants have damaged public property, particularly government and military buildings, is condemnable.”
President Alvi ended his statement by urging stakeholders to look for political solutions and appealing to citizens to remain peaceful.
“We must have a re-Think & look for political solutions, rather than coercion & arrests. I have conveyed my concerns to the political & military leadership & am hopeful that the situation can improve. I strongly appeal to all citizens of the country to remain peaceful,” the tweet concluded.
It must be noted that, according to a statement by the Punjab police, more than 145 police officers and officials have been wounded across Punjab meanwhile 69 vehicles used by Punjab Police were vandalised and set on fire.
Moreover, PTI protestors also attacked the General Headquarters (GHQ) and ransacked the Lahore Corps Commander’s home, along with the buildings of Radio Pakistan and APP.
Consequently, 1,386 PTI workers have been arrested in Punjab on the charges of vandalism, violence and arson of public and private properties.
The violent protests that have gripped the country are the aftermath of the arrest of Khan from the Islamabad High Court premises on May 9 by paramilitary troops on the directions of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
PTI spokesperson: The government is attempting to deflect criticism away from its “failures,” the spokesperson stated in a statement.
The PTI spokesperson said, “The mandate thieves are just skilled at making pronouncements; in reality, they are obsessed with inflaming tensions between provinces and persecuting people.
All Pakistanis are aware, he continued, that “vote manipulation” was the means by which this regime was elected. “To defend their rights, democracy, and an independent judiciary, the people are now taking to the streets.”
In addition to pledging to resist what the party referred to as “injustices,” the PTI spokesperson stated that the country is committed to preserving Pakistan’s future.
PM Shehbaz claimed earlier in his speech to the federal cabinet that Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is “leading” the group of sabotage agents, which is made up of Afghan citizens, and it is utilizing government employees.
Ali Amin Gandapur is ‘guiding’ the protests, the prime minister stated, while the government is working to stabilize the economy and launch its own economic initiative.
One Islamabad Police official was martyred during the rally, and protesters allegedly fired from the air, according to PM Shehbaz. It is natural that investment will draw in a calm and safe environment, he said.
Regarding the PTI demonstration, the prime minister stated that attempts were made to incite unrest at a time when the Chinese Premier was scheduled to undertake a bilateral visit along with a Saudi team, and accusations were made against the government.
While comparing the PTI’s recent protest to the party’s 2014 sit-in, Prime Minister Shehbaz declared that a “gory tale” recurrence would not be permitted at all.
“Such situations are a recurrence of the events that occurred in 2014–2015, when a sit-in was organized for months and was not called off despite the Chinese president’s visit to Pakistan being announced without consideration for the consequences for the people and economy of the country. That won’t be permitted to happen again. Under any circumstances, we will not put up with it. I guarantee you of this. The prime minister pledged, “I will not allow it to happen.”
JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman has been asked by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to attend the All Parties Conference, which is being held today to discuss the Palestine problem and is being hosted by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The leader of JUI-F and a high-ranking delegation from coalition partners met with the deputy prime minister at his home.
Khawaja Saad Rafique, Naveed Qamar, Sherry Rehman, and Nayyer Hussain Bukhari were among the delegation members.
Muhammad Aslam Ghori, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidari, and Maulana Salahuddin Ayubi took part in the meeting as well.
The discussion at the conference also covered the nation’s overall political predicament.
The jail authorities have cited security concerns as the rationale for this prohibition.
Sources indicated that the Punjab government’s prohibition on meetings will be effective till October 18 and will extend to additional inmates at Adiala Jail.
Security agents have intensified investigations and apprehended six additional members of the jail staff for facilitating the PTI founder.
Sources indicated that the incarcerated personnel of the prison also comprised three women. “The apprehended prison staff comprises a janitor, two female wardens, and three CCTV surveillance operators,” sources reported.
Security agents have confiscated the employees’ cell phones. “Female employees were communicating messages between Bushra Bibi and the founder of PTI,” sources reported.
Former Adiala Jail Deputy Superintendent Zafar Iqbal has recently returned home following his detention on allegations of assisting former Prime Minister Imran Khan, according to sources.
Sources indicate that Zafar Iqbal was apprehended on August 13 for interrogation over his assistance to Imran Khan while incarcerated.