behind May 9 violence: PTi

from Miracle 597-May 19,2023

human rights abuses in Pakistan under Muhammad Zia-ul-haq

tified through “a credible investigation”, it said, adding that after his release Mr Khan also demanded a powerful judicial commission consisting of Supreme Court judges to investigate the matter.

“We have ample amount of evidence to present to any independent inquiry that the arson and, in some places, shootings were done by agencies men who wanted to cause mayhem and blame it on PTI so the current crackdown would be justified,” it said.

‘Get ready for sacrifices’

Meanwhile, the PTI chief said a culture of fear was being spread through electronic and social media, where youth was being arrested and thrashed and houses being demolished to tell the people what awaited them if they continued to fight for their rights.

“When Genghis Khan used to conquer a city, he would do a massacre. And then he would ask the few people who he had spared to … let others know ‘how brutal I am’,” the PTI chief said. He said Pakistan was going through the same Mongolian phase.

“The same strategy is being employed here. People are being scared so that they desist from fighting for rights,” he said.

“These are the tactics we need to demolish and break free from the fear. People must not lose heart. How many police are out there? Maybe a few thousand. We are 220 million. How can we be scared into obedience?” he wondered. He said if people decided in favour of real freedom, no one could resist and stop them and “we need to tell them that we are ready for it”. “Women are being dragged to jails.

Youth standing on the roadside are being thrown to prisoner vans. Every kind of fear is being applied so that people stop resisting and forget human, civil and constitutional rights,” he regretted.

Mr Khan said this was being done “to keep Pakistanis in slavery”, adding: “Freedom means sacrifices and people should get ready for it. Shatter the idols of fear and stand up for your fundamental rights, the supremacy of the Constitution and the judiciary.”

“Be ready for peaceful protest for your rights. We only need fair and free elections, rightful representatives elected by the people and get rid of a bunch of currently ruling thieves. Only then would we get real freedom,” he said. In another video message posted hours later, Mr Khan said he would announce his “next plan of action” during a PTI protest in Muridke on Thursday. Urging the nation to attend the protest in huge numbers, he said: “I want all of you to come so that I can tell you my plan of how we will snatch our freedom … because you never get freedom on a plate.”

Earlier in the day, in the continuing war of narratives, Imran Khan tried to prove his innocence regarding the May 9 violence when he uploaded a video message recorded on March 22 and tweeted: “I recorded this on the 22nd of March after my attempted assassination in the Islamabad judicial complex on the 18th. I have consistently told my party workers that whatever the provocation, they must only do peaceful protests.”

Source:dawn.com/news

Anchorperson’s Imran Riaz Khan kidnap, FIR filed against five unknown men

NAROWAL: Sialkot police have registered a first information report (FIR) of alleged kidnapping of TV news anchor person and video blogger Imran Riaz against five unidentified persons.

The FIR has been filed at the Sialkot Civil Lines police station on the application of Mohammad Riaz, the father of the “missing” anchorperson, a resident of New Defense Road, Lahore.

Mr Riaz says in the application that his son, Muhammad Imran Riaz, had to fly to Oman on May 11, with his professional team, including Aftab Ahmed, Naveed Anwar, Muhammad Haris and Adnan Gul.

The FIR says Imran Riaz was at Sialkot International Airport at 2:30am when a Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration team allegedly stopped him from going to Oman “without any reason”.

The complainant said in the FIR that the immigration officers allegedly handed over his son to the “airport police station and Cantonment police station” officials.

He alleged when the police brought his son to the police station at 4am, there was no FIR registered against him and he (Imran) was detained illegally. Mr Riaz said that on the order of the Sialkot deputy commissioner, Imran Riaz was arrested and sent to the Sialkot District Jail under 3 MPO proceedings against him. He said later the DC withdrew his orders and Imran Riaz was released from the district jail at 11pm. He said as soon as his son was released, four to five masked men whisked him away in a

hC Zaheer Janjua attends cultural fun gala of Pak community in Ottawa

Press Relaese

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada Zaheer A. Janjua attended a community fun gala of Pakistani diaspora in Ottawa. The event was arranged by Friends Cafe Club of Canada at a local community centre and attended by a large number of Pakistanis and Canadians of Pakistan origin living in and around the Canadian capital. The High Commissioner lauded the organisers for arranging the event and providing the community with an opportunity to celebrate their culture, food and dress under one platform. He also mingled with the guests and participants and lauded the Pakistani diaspora in Canada for their role and contribution in strengthening cultural and trade ties between Pakistan and Canada. Secretary General Mr. Bilal Riaz welcomed the guests and thanked them for their participation in the fun-packed event. Various cultural activities, quiz and skits were also performed by participants on the occasion.

4X4 VIGO, which was already parked outside the jail. Mr Riaz alleged that according to the CCTV footage, his son had been kidnapped because of the collusion of the district jail staff and the police.

He also demanded registration of an FIR against the police officers allegedly involved in the “kidnap” of his son. According to Sialkot district police spokesman, on the orders of the Lahore High Court, DPO Muhammad Hasan Iqbal registered an FIR of the kidnapping of Imran Riaz.

He said the DPO had formed five teams headed by Investigating Officer Superintendent of Police (SP) Ziaullah for the recovery of the kidnapped anchorperson.

He said raiding teams comprising deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) of Sam- barial, Daska, Pasrur, Sialkot and headquarters had also been formed.

The spokesman said police were working round the clock, using human intelligence, geofencing, civil institutions and other resources, for the recovery of the victim.

Source: dawn.com/news