PTI seeks ‘independent commission’ to probe May 9 events

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded an ‘independent commission’ to investigate the May 9 events – the day party chairman Imran Khan was arrested in Al-Qadir Trust Case, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

PTI leader Farrukh Habib made the announcement in a video message – shared on Twitter – following the meeting organisational leaders across the country under the chairmanship of Imran Khan.

According to the statement, the meeting – which was attended by party leaders across the country via video link – strongly condemned the ‘illegal abduction’ of the former premier on May 9 and registration of ‘over 150 bogus cases’.

The participants also condemned the ‘political victimisation’ of Imran Khan by the ‘imported’ ruling coalition.

The meeting also demanded the formation of an ‘independent commission’ to investigate the May 9 events – which included ‘incidents of arson, vandalism, chaos and violence’ – following the arrest of the former prime minister.

The statement noted that evidence has emerged that ‘arsonists were planted to provoke peaceful protestors on May 9’. “These people [arsonists] were dressed in plain clothes and their identities are unknown”, it added.

It also condemned the ‘government’s move’ to arrest women and children and violate the sanctity of the veil and walls. The meeting decided to move high court against ‘planners and police personnel’.

Meanwhile, the meeting also expressed solidarity with the party workers and leaders who faced ‘police brutality’. It also decided to establish a special fund for the support of the families of the martyrs.

Earlier in the day, PTI Chairman Imran Khan asserted that he would prove that arsonists were planted to provoke peaceful protestors on May 9.

Taking to Twitter, the former prime minister shared a video from his old televised address, insisting that he had exposed “the plan” to incite violence amid peaceful protests on March 22 after the attack on Islamabad judicial complex (IJC).

“I recorded this on the 22nd of March after my attempted assassination in the Islamabad judicial complex on the 18th,” Imran Khan wrote.

“Whenever there is an independent inquiry I will prove that those who had guns and those who committed arson were planted amongst the demonstrators just as they were going to do in the plan I uncovered here in this video message,” said Imran Khan.

Protests

Violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday.

The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers are agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.

Army installations and Corps Commander’s house in Lahore came under attack during a protest of PTI workers.