Imran’s morale is very high: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi Wednesday urged the people to continue their peaceful protest as their captain (Chairman Imran Khan) is fine and his morale is very high.

In a video message, Qureshi gave details about the health and well-being of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and said that despite the arrest and torture, the spirit of the captain is high. “Imran Khan has a clear message to the workers that his morale is high, the workers should not give up,” he maintained.

He explained that the PTI chairman was produced in the court today (Wednesday) and handed over to NAB on an eight-day physical remand and now he will be produced in the court again on May 17.

Qureshi said Imran Khan is well and more determined than before, but when he got the news of the martyrdom of party workers due to firing, he was very sad. The PTI vice chairman claimed that PTI has always been peaceful as ‘our struggle has always been within the framework of the Constitution and law and we have to maintain this policy’.

He said that consultations with lawyers are going on, and a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision on the arrest of Imran Khan. He said the political leadership and lawyers would be taken into confidence to decide the future course of action.

Later, in reaction to conflicting media reports regarding his own arrest, Qureshi issued a statement that he had not been arrested yet, adding all kinds of strategies are being adopted to spread misinformation, spread chaos and terror, and break the spirit of our party and supporters. “I warn you, this is a big mistake, as the people of Pakistan will no longer sit at home, we have no fear,” he made it clear. Qureshi alleged Imran Khan’s arrest and what is happening today are part of a fixed script.

“Now their new narrative has to prove us as a violent group, whereas we have been protesting peacefully despite facing severe atrocities for a year. People of Pakistan are (politically) aware, not terrorists,” Qureshi said in a statement issued here.

The PTI leader sounded optimistic that “Insha Allah, this tactic of yours will also fail. On April 9, 2022, it became clear that the imported government imposed did not have public support, and since then, in all the by-elections held till date, the people rejected them (rulers) outright every time.” He claimed it was then decided that since Imran Khan’s political competition is impossible, the only way to defeat him is to crush him but Allah had proved and every time, (there) every tactic failed.

Meanwhile, in a video message, Shah Mehmood Qureshi regretted that the “fascist government” did not allow him, his lawyers and the media to meet Imran Khan despite efforts. The PTI leader said that they had tried their best to meet Imran Khan but were denied any contact with him. He said that when he reached the Police Lines guest house, neither he, the lawyers nor were the media allowed access to the PTI chairman.

Qureshi said that they filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court, which was being followed by Faisal Chaudhry. He said they petitioned that they be given access to Imran Khan, adding that the IHC’s decision was not correct in the light of the law, which was the reason they had decided to move to the Supreme Court.

He said that a heavy contingent of police was sent to the IHC to arrest him and Asad Umar, and the police managed to arrest Asad while he and the Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister succeeded in moving to a safe place.

“I appeal to PTI workers and all countrymen who love Imran Khan that peaceful protests are their legal and constitutional right, which will be continued,” he said.

He said that they had decided to hold protests in a few places immediately. He instructed that all PTI district and city presidents should direct their respective organisations in each district to hold peaceful demonstrations at select points to record their protests.

Qureshi reiterated that they would continue this war peacefully and within the ambit of the law and Constitution until they succeeded in getting Imran Khan released and ensuring the supremacy of the rule of law.

In a related development, PTI’s official Twitter account shared videos of the party’s Secretary General Asad Umar’s arrest, which showed dozens of policemen surrounding and dragging him, presumably, towards a police van.

On his arrest, PTI leader Shireen Mazari said, “The IHC had become a fertile ground to illegally arrest PTI leaders. Fascism confirmed. They can’t get the terrorists but PTI leaders are now terrorists for a cabal of crooks & the state? This is despicable,” she tweeted.

Meanwhile, commenting on the government seeking the services of the military for the maintenance of peace, PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry gave a piece of advice to the rulers and said since the army has been called in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the security issue has been resolved, the elections should now be held on May 14 as per the orders of the apex court.

In his reaction to senior PML leader Maryam Nawaz’s tweet, Fawad Chaudhry decried her comment on the people and remarked: “Since you have never contested an election in your life, you may not have a clear understanding of what is popular among the people. However, it is evident that the whole of Pakistan is protesting against this oppressive and fascist government,” Fawad wrote.

God willing, he said, this sun of oppression will set and people will win, and that is why you (Maryam) have kept a special plane ready to escape immediately.