Senator Faisal Vawda has raised concerns over the violence during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) recent three-day protest, which ended abruptly, and suggested that the party might be banned for its actions.
Speaking on the News show on Wednesday, Vawda claimed that while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur would not be arrested, Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, could face legal action. His comments came after PTI called off its planned sit-in protest in Islamabad following violent clashes with security forces early on Wednesday.
The protest, aimed at opposing the “illegal” imprisonment of Imran Khan and other party leaders, as well as the alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections, ended when PTI leaders, including Gandapur and Bushra Bibi, fled the scene as police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
This development follows the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) move to table a resolution in the Balochistan Assembly calling for a ban on PTI, in light of its involvement in the May 9 riots, which resulted in attacks on military installations. The government had previously hinted at banning PTI due to its alleged role in the riots and attempts to undermine Pakistan’s deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Vawda criticized the PTI leadership for not showing up during the protest, questioning the whereabouts of key figures like Omar Ayub Khan. He also took aim at Bushra Bibi, accusing her of playing a significant role in bringing PTI to a standstill by rejecting the government’s offer to move the protest to another location, and insisted that her refusal to compromise had been detrimental to the party’s cause.
Additionally, Vawda suggested that the PTI leadership has prepared for the possibility of keeping Imran Khan in jail, hinting that the events of May 9 were carried out on orders from an unnamed “vulture,” who allegedly benefited from a controversial deal brokered through the former prime minister.
