Senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday raised alarm over the potential assassination threat to former prime minister Imran Khan.
Speaking at a press conference at the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad a day after the party’s Central Secretariat was sealed by Capital Development Authority (CDA) for violating building by-laws, PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan, Latif Khosa, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, and Ali Muhammad Khan underscored the grave dangers facing their leader.
“Imran Khan had already expressed concerns about his life being in danger, and now it seems that is becoming a reality,” Raoof Hasan stated. “They used to remove and install prime ministers at will, but when things didn’t go their way this time, they orchestrated the drama of May 9.”
Raoof Hasan revealed that PTI’s Secretariat was broken into last night. “Just a day before, a UN delegation was here, and they attacked us. Even the UN vehicle was inspected,” he said. “Their hatred has not subsided. We have been living under state fascism for two years. They couldn’t accept the election results showing massive public support for Imran Khan. Despite all their tactics, Khan’s strength only grew. Now, it seems their last resort is assassination.”
Ali Muhammad Khan called the recent attack on the PTI Secretariat an attack on democracy itself. “They are closing down spaces where the largest political party can communicate. Last night’s incident shows that their intolerance knows no bounds,” he declared. “When political party offices are shut, non-state actors get an opportunity. Is the ideology of PTI just in a building? No, it resides in our hearts.”
He added, “Imran Khan, who once carried Pakistan’s flag around the world, is being treated with contempt. How long will this nation continue to sacrifice its leaders? Look at Dr. Yasmin Rashid, an 80-year-old cancer patient, bedridden. Do they think they can intimidate Raoof Hasan by attacking him? It hasn’t worked.”
He added, “Imran Khan, who once carried Pakistan’s flag around the world, is being treated with contempt. How long will this nation continue to sacrifice its leaders? Look at Dr Yasmin Rashid, an 80-year-old cancer patient, bedridden. Do they think they can intimidate Raoof Hasan by attacking him? It hasn’t worked.”
Ali Muhammad Khan also criticised the government for not allowing him to meet the party’s founder. “He wanted to go to the Supreme Court himself. An atomic state can’t provide security for a 40-minute drive from Adiala to the Supreme Court?” he asked. “What message is being given from the Centre by excluding Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Chief Minister from the SIFC,” he questioned.
Latif Khosa condemned the targeting of PTI. “I am an MNA from Punjab, and our office there has been sealed. The office owner was arrested and is being subjected to the May 9 trial. This is blatant theft and robbery under official supervision,” he asserted. “If they think they can break PTI’s spirit, they are mistaken.”
Khosa also criticised the judiciary’s treatment. “They are attacking the judiciary to pressure it. How can the Senate Chair allow such fiery speeches against the judiciary? They openly challenge it,” he said.
