The protests across Pakistan, staged by PTI supporters, ended after the workers staged sit-ins for hours as party chief Imran Khan recovers from the injuries he sustained after the attempt on his life during the anti-government protest march he has been leading towards Islamabad.
Khan has put a pause on his party's much-touted long march which was supposed to culminate in Islamabad on November 11 till he regains his health but has urged his supporters to continue protesting against three people whom he accuses of plotting the assassination plan against him.
A large number of PTI supporters took to the streets to lodge their protest against the assassination attempt, with clashes between the PTI workers and the police in various cities which led police to use tear gas to disperse the protesters.
PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said the next phase of the long march would be announced tomorrow and asked workers to end the roadblocks.
The federal government on Saturday suspended Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar with immediate effect.
The move came a day after an angry mob of PTI supporters staged a protest demonstration outside the Governor House in Lahore against the assassination attempt on the life of the party’s Chairman Imran Khan.
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Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif urged Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to form a full court commission to investigate the allegations levelled by PTI chief Imran Khan against the premier, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and the top army officer regarding alleged involvement in the Wazirabad attack.
Condemning the assassination attack on Khan, PM Shahbaz said while people from all walks of life denounced the incident, Khan shouldn’t have “stooped to such a level, where since last two days he is levelling false and cheap allegations against the military and the coalition government.”
PM Shahbaz, addressing a press conference — which was postponed on Thursday because of the attack on PTI’s convoy — said: “The incident was unfortunate and we pray for the speedy recovery of all people who sustained injuries, including Khan.”
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The protests in Peshawar, Karachi, and Rawalpindi have ended after the workers staged sit-ins for hours.
The coalition government directed the Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to lift the ban prohibiting all satellite TV channels from broadcasting and rebroadcasting PTI chief Imran Khan’s speeches and press conferences.
It was learnt that the government has directed the authority for revocation by exercising Section 5.
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has abolished the "bitter traditions" of Imran's era and established a new one.
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Police have opened Karachi's Numaish Chowrangi for traffic after pushing back PTI protesters. However, the workers are now staging the protest near Turbat Centre on MA Jinnah Road.
President Dr Arif Alvi and First Lady Begum Samina Alvi visited Shaukat Khanum Hospital, Lahore to inquire about the health of PTI Chairman Imran khan.
The president and the First Lady expressed their best wishes and prayed for his speedy recovery. They stayed with Imran Khan for almost three hours.
During the visit, the president and Khan also exchanged views on the dire political and economic situation of the country.
The president once again condemned the cowardly attack on Khan and called upon the government to take all possible measures to bring the culprits to justice.
PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said it is impossible for party supporters and workers to sit quietly when “our red line [Imran Khan] is crossed.
“A well-planned attempt was made to kill Khan,” he said addressing the protestors at Liberty Chowk.
Umar said that witnesses have seen that the fire was opened by more than one person, questioning the authorities till when can they stop authorities from registering an FIR.
The Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) Saturday imposed a ban on all satellite TV channels from broadcasting and rebroadcasting PTI chief Imran Khan’s speeches and press conferences.
According to a notice issued, the regulatory authority said that Khan during his long march speeches and a day ago had “made aspersions against the state institutions by levelling baseless allegations for orchestrating an assassination plan”.
It added that airing such content was likely to create “hatred among the people or was prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order or was likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity or endanger national security”.
The PEMRA mentioned that this was a serious violation of Article 19 of the Constitution and Section 27 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as well as the Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015.
“In case of any violation, the observed licence may be suspended … without any show-cause notice in the public interest along with other enabling provisions of law,” the notice read.
Hundreds of PTI supporters reached Numaish Chowrangi to stage a protest on the call of senior party leaders.
The provincial administration has deployed a heavy police force near Numaish Chowrangi and MA Jinnah Road to control the protestors.
The local government has summoned anti-rights force and personnel from all police stations present in the East.
The PTI workers in Gujar Khan have dispersed after holding a brief protest on GT Road.
Police have fired tear gas at protesters after PTI workers stage a protest in Faizabad, blocking roads and causing trouble to the commuters.
The protesters included women and children who were chanting anti-government slogans. After police fired tear gas, the protesters dispersed.
Separately, they have also blocked the Islamabad Expressway.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed concerns over the non-registration of a first information report (FIR) in relation to the attack on the party's chairman Imran Khan.
In a press conference outside the hospital after visiting Khan, he said more than two days have passed since the attack on the PTI chief and expressed concerns.
"The plaintiff has the right to express his position through FIR. Facts can be ascertained through a transparent investigation. There is a big question that is being raised nowadays — that the FIR of the attack on the most popular political leader is not being registered."
He added that the police might be "pressurised" to not register the FIR.
PTI workers are protesting at Muzaffargarh's Chenab bridge, and they have also blocked the roads. The commuters are facing severe difficulties.
The Rawalpindi administration has deployed police and FC personnel in light of the PTI's protests. The police have also drafted a security plan.
PTI workers are protesting in Bahawalpur in line with party's secretary-general Asad Umar's directions.
Federal Minister for Planning and Development, Ahsan Iqbal, Saturday accused PTI Chairman Imran Khan was inciting his workers against the state institutions.
"Khan is levelling baseless allegations against sensitive state institutions and enemy agencies must be rejoicing today as he was speaking their language," said Iqbal talking to newsmen in Narowal.
He said as long as the religion card would be misused in politics, extremism could not be eliminated from the country.
“Khan became a victim of religious fanaticism, as he himself used it to incite religious sentiments through his poisonous statements,” he added.
Iqbal also claimed the PTI government had used the religious card that led to an armed bid on his life.
PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal, who was an interior minister then, was injured after a young man opened fire on him at a corner meeting in his constituency in Narowal on May 7, 2018
PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari Saturday said that "one man" (an indirect reference to Imran Khan) could not be allowed to turn the country into an anarchist state and that they would not tolerate any attack on institutions.
Slamming the PTI for "spewing venom against the country's agencies", Zardari said: “One man is crossing every line to plunge the country into chaos."
“That man neither cares about the integrity of the country nor does he have any respect for the institutions. All he thinks about is power, power, and only power.”
PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan said that the special guard present with Imran Khan received six bullets in his leg and arm when the firing on Khan took place.
"It is a miracle that the bullets did not touch any artery or bone. Zahid is a brave and fearless soldier," he said.
PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the bullet that hit Imran Khan was a conspiracy to harm the honour of this country.
Taking to Twitter, Qureshi said: "We are a living nation and this nation will not sit still."
The former foreign minister also said that the party will stage a peaceful protest across the country at 5pm today.
The district administration of Islamabad has denied permission to PTI to hold a jalsa or sit-in in the federal capital in order to maintain peace and security.
In a miscellaneous plea filed in Islamabad High Court (IHC), Islamabad advocate general has requested the dismissal of PTI's plea seeking NOC for the rally and sit-in, citing threats to Imran Khan's life.
The Islamabad administration has based its argument on examples of killings motivated by religious extremism.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan's lawyer has filed a plea seeking deferral of the contempt of court case proceedings against him in the Supreme Court which has sought an explanation for the incidents of May 25, 2022, from the party leader in a contempt case filed against him.
"My client is admitted to a hospital due to the unfortunate incident and therefore is unable to submit the sought response on the matter," the lawyer stated in the plea while requesting the court not to fix the hearing for a while now.
PTI leader Shibli Faraz says that Imran Khan will be moved to his home within two days.
Faraz said that a complete investigation of the assassination attempt on Khan should take place as it wasn't the act of an individual.
"This was not done by just one person, there is a conspiracy behind it," he added.
At least 24 PTI leaders have been booked in a case for protesting over the assassination attempt on PTI chair Imran Khan.
As per the police, the nominated PTI leaders put up resistance against the police and damaged government property. The nominated PTI leaders include Ali Ahmed Awan, Amir Mehmood Kayani, Wasif Qayyum and others.
An FIR of the case stated that the PTI leaders attacked the police and FC personnel with sticks and pelted stones at them, which resulted in the injury of nine FC personnel and five cops.
PTI's Lahore division Secretary Zubair Niazi said that the police are not accepting their complaint to register a case against the assassination attempt on PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
The leader said in a media talk that he has been at the Wazirabad City Police Station to lodge an FIR and that the SHO took a picture of their complaint and shared it with the district police officer, but the police did not officially register a case.
The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) has taken over the probe into the attack on PTI Chairman Imran Khan.
Security sources said that the main accused Naveed was taken to the CTD cell in Chung, where he is being interrogated by the CTD and other agencies.
Sources said that it has also been decided to conduct a polygraph test on the suspect, while a case against the incident will be registered at the CTD or a local police station.
Punjab Governor House administration wrote a letter to the Punjab chief secretary and inspector general of police requesting the deployment of more police force for the security of the Punjab Governor and his family, and staff residing in the Governor House.
The Governor House requested the Punjab government to take all possible measures to stop the mob from entering the premises. The administration also asked for the registration of cases against the protesters for breaking the law.
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