Barrister Gohar calls for dialogue, says May 9 issue must be resolved
Pakistan
Enough is enough! We demand a fair resolution of the injustices we have faced, says PTI chief
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urged the National Assembly to allow the political dust surrounding the events of May 9 to settle, emphasising the need for dialogue and accountability.
Addressing the lower house, Barrister Gohar said, “Enough is enough! We demand a fair resolution of the injustices we have faced. This parliament must act as the platform for dialogue. We have formed a negotiation committee, which should not be mistaken as a sign of weakness.”
He warned that failure to provide a solution through dialogue would leave the party with no choice but to return to the streets for protests.
The PTI chief slammed the violence inflicted on his supporters, claiming they were targeted despite being peaceful. “Our people faced oppression, bullets were fired at them. Nowhere in the world are unarmed protesters treated with such brutality. Look at recent protests in Brazil and other countries—did they fire on demonstrators who entered government buildings?”
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Referring to an incident outside parliament, Gohar rejected Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s claim that Ali Amin Gandapur’s guards were responsible for the firing. “It is absurd that the government refuses to acknowledge that straight bullets were fired on protesters,” he remarked.
Responding to accusations of exploiting ethnic sentiments, Gohar dismissed allegations of playing the Pashtun card. “Our people who protested were unarmed. If you have evidence of PTI workers using weapons, bring it forward. These baseless charges only serve to accuse us,” he asserted.
PTI founder needed nothing to prove his popularity. “His support was duly proved on February 8,” he added.
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PTI MNA Sher Afzal Marwat lashed out at the government for allegedly mistreating the party’s workers. He questioned the violent crackdown on November 26, asserting that Pashtuns were being unfairly targeted.
“Why were bullets fired at us on November 26? Pashtuns continue to face discriminatory treatment. Even when KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur stood by Bushra Bibi until the last moment, it was our people who were killed, injured, and slapped with false charges,” Marwat lamented.
