PTI’s indifference towards Peshawar tragedy visible everywhere

ISLAMABAD: Imran Khan’s indifference towards Peshawar tragedy that triggered Tuesday’s protest from the families of school children was not only noted in his press conference but is also apparent from his social media account and party activities, an analysis has found.
Even parental reaction failed to end his disconnect with the public and he interpreted this outrage as the brainwork of political opponents who wanted to put him in an awkward situation by sending activists faking as parents.
He took less than a minute in switching from the grieving parents’ reaction to election rigging, the resignation of national assembly speaker and demand for an independent election commission as if these measures are anti-dote to terrorism.
An analysis of post-December 16 activities of PTI and Imran Khan’s twitter accounts also testify to their insensitive response to the Peshawar tragedy that shook the entire world. A visit to the party website found five statements on rigging and only three on terrorism after the nerve-shaking terrorism incident. Likewise, Imran tweeted 10 times on the issue of poll rigging and eight times on terrorism in the corresponding period, giving an indication what constitutes the top priority of the ruling party in KP.
Even three handouts displayed on the party website include one wherein PTI’s core committee seemed more concerned about the charges leveled against Imran Khan, not what happened in Peshawar and what should have been a collective response.
“PTI core committee in its meeting on Sunday, December 28 demanded that the govt remove all the spurious terrorism charges against the PTI leadership and workers,” it said while also demanding a joint interrogation team to investigate the murder of PTI worker in Faisalabad and that Rana Sanaullah be named in the FIR.
A separate handout posted about the same core committee meeting seemed to have been issued only to pat PTI for standing with the government at this critical juncture. “The core committee in its meeting on Sunday, December 28 unanimously decided that PTI had gone the extra mile in accommodating the govt in this time of crisis so that PTI should not be seen in any way as impeding the national cohesion to fight terrorism.”
Although PTI’s core committee’s rare condemnation of terrorism, naming TTP in its earlier meeting held on December 20, was reported in the media but was incidentally not posted on the party’s website for reasons best know to the leadership.
Contrast this with the stuff on rigging. One can find five statements. Included among them are talks with the government over setting up of judicial commission, rejoinders to the information minister Pervez Rashid on rigging and reports about the recounting of votes in NA-122.
One can also find press releases about CM KP but they are related to his chairing of meetings on highway and urban areas as if terrorism is a non-issue in his province. A handout about his meeting with Siraj-ul-Haq on January 1 reads that the CM appreciated the role of allied parties in the mission of eradication of corruption.
Situation is no different if Imran’s twitter account is any guide to determine his top priority. His ten tweets about poll rigging and judicial commission reflect his obsession in this regard when compared with eight tweets on Peshawar tragedy.