PTI reiterates demand to hold judicial probe into May 9 riots
“We will hold peaceful protests on May 9,” says Barrister Gohar Ali Khan
- PTI will hold rallies to mark May 9 anniversary: Barrister Gohar.
- Says he discussed political, legal matters with Imran Khan in jail.
- PTI apprised US ambassador of "rights violations": party chief.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Tuesday reiterated its demand to hold a judicial inquiry into the May 9 violence ahead of the anniversary of the unprecedented violent protests that broke out in the country last year.
“Even today, we are demanding to form a judicial commission [to probe] the May 9 events,” he said while speaking to the media after meeting founding chairman Imran Khan in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.
Barrister Gohar said the PTI would hold rallies across the country to mark the May 9 anniversary. “We will hold peaceful protests on May 9 and the ticket holders will lead them.”
The May 9 events refer to violent protests triggered by the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in a corruption case from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) last year.
During the protests, alleged PTI supporters damaged public and private properties and also attacked military installations in different parts of the country.
Speaking about the May 9 incident earlier today, Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that the perpetrators and facilitators of the riots need to be punished as per the Constitution and law of the land to preserve the credibility and faith in the country’s justice system.
"The issue of May 9 riots is not limited to the Pakistan Army but [in fact] concerns the whole nation," the military's spokesperson said while addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi.
Speaking about his meeting with the party founder, Barrister Gohar said he held consultations with Khan on political and legal matters.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s order suspending the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) ruling depriving the PTI of its reserved seats, Gohar said he provided guidance to the incarcerated party founder in the light of the verdict.
“We hope that our 78 snatched seats will be returned," he said referring to the February 8 general election.
He said US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome had requested a meeting with PTI and added that the envoy was briefed on the alleged human rights violations in the country.