It takes PTI senators 20 days to condemn May 9 tragedy

ISLAMABAD: It took a group of senators belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) almost three weeks (20 days) to condemn the May-9 mayhem, including attacks on GHQ and Jinnah House [corps commander’s house in Lahore] and to say their party never ‘preached’ violence.

“This House strongly condemns the violent attacks on May 9, 2023, at GHQ; Jinnah House, where the corps commander resides, was also set on fire while destroying valuable belongings of the Founding Father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, also memorials of martyrs, historic building, mosques and schools that were set on fire and damaged.

“This House extends its unwavering support and shows solidarity with our armed forces and security agencies and the public at large, who are affected by these events,” text of the resolution says.

It was submitted by PTI senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Saleem Rahman, and signed by him and seven other party lawmakers, including Fida Muhammad, Semee Ezdi, Falak Naz, Saifullah Nyazee, who quit the PTI recently, Zarqa Suhardwardi, Dr Humayun Mohmand and Zeeshan Khanzada.

Later, some of them spoke to the media outside the Parliament House and solidarity with the armed force and poured scorn on the PDM government, terming them hypocrites, who they alleged, shed crocodile’s tears over these events.

They claimed their party had never imparted training on violence and therefore, they had submitted a condemnatory resolution and they were from the armed forces and vice versa. They demanded probe into the violence and fixing those behind it under the law.

“If they had been sincere, there had been no Memogate, Dawnleaks and talk by JUIF leadership of laying siege to the Peshawar corps commander’s residence and threats by other PDM leaders,” said Senator Dr Humayun Mohmand.

Meanwhile, PTI has formed a committee for making preparations for the local government elections in Punjab. PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub notified names of the committee members, consisting of regional presidents and general secretaries.

The committee would be headed by former Punjab Assembly Speaker Sibtain Khan, and comprise Humayun Akhtar, Riaz Fatyana, Rai Azizullah, Faisal Sher Jan, Tariq Din, Hafiz Farhat Wasim Qadir and Ejaz Minhas.

The committee will report directly to the secretary general on a daily basis through the chair. Separately, the PTI also notified regional presidents Punjab as Farrukh Habib was appointed as PTI West Punjab President, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi North Punjab, Dr. Yasmin Rashid Central Punjab and Aun Abbas was appointed as the PTI South Punjab.

Similarly, the PTI also appointed regional general secretaries Punjab as Rai Murtaza was appointed as PTI West Punjab regional general secretary, Hammad Azhar Central Punjab and Moeen Qureshi was notified as the PTI regional general secretary south Punjab. The PTI secretary general has issued notification in this regard.