Punjab decides to conduct judicial inquiry into violence on PTI’s Azadi March
September 13, 2022
The Punjab government Monday decided to conduct a judicial inquiry into the violence on participants of PTI’s May 25 Azadi March, Geo News reported.
“We will request to conduct a judicial inquiry into the alleged police torture on Azadi March participants as we do not want any police officer to be treated unfair, said Home Minister Punjab Col (r) Muhammad Hashim Dogar while talking to the media.
Hashim Dogar further said that police officers should tell the judicial inquiry commission on whom directions police unleashed the violence.
Later, taking to Twitter, Hashim Dogar said that the Punjab cabinet had formed a judicial commission headed by Justice (r) Bilal, which will investigate the incidents related to violence and torture that occurred during the long march.
The long march
On May 25, former prime minister Imran Khan led a convoy — that was joined by people across the country — to Islamabad to achieve "haqeeqi azadi" [true freedom], but the government invoked Section 144 to bar the marchers from entering Islamabad and hold gatherings. The roads and major thoroughfares leading to the federal capital were barricaded with containers and other obstacles.
The night before D-day, police carried out various raids at the houses of PTI leaders. Unaffected by the government's measures, the PTI marchers continued to advance the next day and amid shelling by the police, former energy minister Hammad Azhar was injured and was provided with basic medical treatment at a rural health clinic.
Earlier, the police even tried to arrest Azhar but the party workers managed to save him.
On the same day, the police attacked former health minister Yasmin Rashid’s car, breaking her windscreen in an attempt to stop her from moving forward.
According to footage circulated on social media, the police used batons to stop her; however, the car continued to move ahead despite losing balance.
Later, multiple PTI leaders including, Imran Khan, Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Umar, Imran Ismail and others were booked for "rioting" during the long march.
