Journalists shed words on Imran Khan's arrest fiasco
Pakistan
Kamran Khan sees the episode as upgradation of Imran's ratings
LAHORE (Web Desk) - Over a day ago, law enforcers and PTI workers came to a stalemate outside Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s residence at Zaman Park as the capital police, later joined by Rangers, moved to arrest Mr Khan in connection with the Toshakhana case.
Hundreds of PTI workers posed resistance to the police stepping forward intermittently to arrest Mr Khan. They pelted the police personnel with stones which was responded to by the police with water cannons, teargas shells, and baton-charging of the party activists.
The whole fiasco resulted in the injury of 54 police personnel, including DIG Operations Shehzad Nadeem Bukhari, officials said. On the other hand, the PTI also claimed in its social media posts that several party workers were injured in clashes with the police.
As the broadcast and social media are abuzz with the debate on law enforcers’ multiple attempts to arrest Mr Khan, journalists also took to social media to share their opinions over the matter.
Anchorperson Kamran Khan wrote on Twitter to term the fiasco as “Utterly Stupid”. He added that they turned Khan's rock-bottom approval ratings a year ago all-time high today.
— Kamran Khan (@AajKamranKhan) March 15, 2023
Journalist Mubashir Zaidi was of the opinion that Mr Khan had lost the opportunity to stand tall as a politician to come out and get arrested. He wrote, “Political leaders lead from the front not take human shields like Cult leaders”.
— Mubashir Zaidi (@Xadeejournalist) March 14, 2023
Meanwhile journalist Atika Rehman tweeted, “Losing track of how many times the govt has attempted to arrest Imran Khan and failed…”.
— Atika Rehman (@AtikaRehman) March 14, 2023
Journalist Sahar Habib Ghazi expressed her surprise over top journalists and analysts glossing over Mr Khan’s concerns of getting killed in the custody and wrote, “Pakistani politics is back to the 90s — divided, hateful, vengeful, run by vendettas & rhetoric, serving the most powerful who turned land, housing societies & private industries into an untaxed cash cow”.
— Sahar Habib Ghazi (@SaharHGhazi) March 15, 2023
Another journalist Zarrar Khuhro saw the move as a delaying tactic as elections in Punjab and KP are drawing near. He wrote, “Clear grounds being manufactured for delaying elections. But the limits of state power - used excessively and without logical planning - have been clearly displayed and aired across the globe now. You cannot control the consequences of that. Hold elections regardless of who wins”.
— Zarrar Khuhro (@ZarrarKhuhro) March 15, 2023
Lawyer Asad Rahim Khan schooled the people using terms like “human shields” writing, ” Considering how the term ‘human shields’ is used by neo-Nazi hacks to justify state violence against defenceless civilians – often in war zones – the usual suspects in Pakistan may want to think twice before picking up language that reveals too much about themselves”.
— Zarrar Khuhro (@ZarrarKhuhro) March 15, 2023
