By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has postponed nationwide protests planned for Friday, while a “grand rally” in Lahore on September 22 will go ahead as scheduled.
The decision comes after nearly a dozen PTI lawmakers were arrested earlier this week for violating the recently passed Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024, during a rally in Islamabad on Sunday. The rally, which was allowed by the Islamabad administration from 4 pm to 7 pm, went on until around 11 pm, leading to clashes between police and some PTI supporters.
The National Assembly speaker ordered an inquiry into the arrests, citing that under Pakistani law, legislators cannot be detained from within the precincts of parliament without the speaker’s permission.
“We have decided to postpone our protests on Friday to give some more time to the government,” PTI leader Salman Akram Raja told a news conference. “However, our rally in Lahore will take place at any cost.”
“Therefore, we appeal to the public to be mindful of these updates, act courageously because fear doesn’t have a meaning anymore in this country. We are not fearful and will not stop until we reach our destination.”
Raja added that the party would hold a public gathering in the Karak district of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province next week before the Lahore rally.
The PTI has faced a crackdown since protests allegedly linked to the party attacked government and military installations on May 9, 2023, after former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s brief arrest in a land graft case. Hundreds of PTI followers and leaders were arrested, and many remain behind bars awaiting trial. The military has initiated army court trials of at least 103 people accused of involvement in the violence.
Khan, ousted in a parliamentary vote of no confidence in 2022, has denied all charges against him, calling them “politically motivated.” He has been in jail since August last year on a slew of charges, including corruption and terrorism.
Lawmakers
The arrested lawmakers were produced at the National Assembly on Thursday on the orders of the Speaker.
Videos shared with journalists showed the lawmakers chanting slogans, being brought to the National Assembly in a police van. Some were seen greeting family members, while others spoke out against their arrest and the government.
“Slogans of former Prime Minister Imran Khan chanted on the arrival of PTI members at the Parliament House,” the PTI party said on Thursday in a social media post on X.
The PTI has vowed to boycott parliamentary sessions until an investigation into the arrests is completed to its satisfaction.
In a related development, the Islamabad High Court suspended the detainees’ physical remand until a hearing on Friday. An anti-terrorism court had earlier approved an eight-day remand.
The National Assembly has formed an 18-member committee to address issues related to the House, with PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan among its members.
The Islamabad High Court on Thursday sought clarification from the government about a possible military trial of Khan in connection with the violent protests. The court ordered the additional attorney general of Pakistan to clear the ambiguity by Monday, September 16, or the court will issue an interim order.
Military Trial
The Islamabad High Court on Thursday sought clarification from the government about a possible military trial of Khan in connection with the May 9, 2023, violent protests. The court ordered the additional attorney general of Pakistan to clear the ambiguity by Monday, September 16, or the court will issue an interim order.
“The court has ordered the additional attorney general of Pakistan to clear the ambiguity by Monday, September 16, or the court will issue an interim order,” the PTI said in a statement sent to reporters. “The government, so far, has failed to maintain if the possible military trial of a former prime minister is still on the cards or if it was just a ploy to buy time for more gimmicks.”
Khan has petitioned against potential military custody, citing the arrest of ex-spy chief Faiz Hameed and speculation that Hameed may testify against him, court documents showed.
Khan’s petition, filed amid escalating tensions with the powerful military, referenced recent official calls for his trial in a military court under the Pakistan Army Act, 1952. Hameed’s detention has sparked widespread speculation that he may be used as a witness in cases related to May 9-10, 2023, potentially leading to Khan’s transfer to military custody.
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