MANSEHRA (Dunya News) – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said on Wednesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) sit-in is a movement that is ongoing and will continue until the call of the founder [to call it off].
Gandapur was addressing a news conference here along with Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub.
He said that the PTI is a peaceful party. “We talk about the rule of law, protection of the constitution, true freedom and democracy in the country. Unfortunately, for the last two and a half years, our party has been subjected to oppression.”
Gandapur said cases were fabricated against [the PTI leadership]. “Our mandate was stolen. Our leader is in jail in concocted cases. Our voters were tortured. We demand our rights but we are not allowed to protest peacefully.”
The chief minister said a cruel tradition has been set which is unprecedented in history. “We do not get justice from courts. We have only one choice, to protest without permission."
He said "whenever we demanded to hold rally in Islamabad we are tortured."
“I want to make it clear, the sit-in is ongoing. It will continue as it is launched on the call of [Imran] Khan. He had said that the sit-in will continue until he says so. I want to tell the whole of Pakistan that our sit-in is continuing,” he said.
The chief minister said that they [police] shot at our workers. “Hundreds of our people have been shot, the data of our martyrs is being compiled. The data of our workers who are arrested is also being collected.
"I was also targetted. I was fired upon. Bushra Bibi, who was with me, was also fired upon. Omar Ayub was also with us," he continued.
Addressing the government, he said "you are forcing us to reply in the same coin. You should think about the country. You have ruined economy."
He said: "We were going peacefully. The question is why were we shot at? Whenever we got hold of a policeman or security force official, we let him go. Every family here has a member who is in police, Rangers, FC or army."
He was all praise for the PTI activists and said they had been fighting a war for our coming generations. Today the PTI founder is in jail for us. He is sacrificing for our real freedom.
He said when a chief minister could not get justice, how common people can get justice.
He assured the families of arrested workers that he would secure their release. “I salute my workers. We stand by the families of those arrested.”
Omar Ayub paid tribute to workers for their journey to Islamabad for the country and for Imran Khan.
He condemned "bid on the life of Bushra Bibi and the chief minister of a province when he was in federal capital."
It may be recalled that Gandapur reached Mansehra along with Bushra Bibi and party General Secretary Omar Ayub from Islamabad late night when a grand operation was launched to disperse activists who were on a sit-in on the call of Imran Khan.