Pakistan

PTI supporters accused of manhandling PML-N leaders in Islamabad

Tension between two parties comes to the boil as they clash outside Parliament House

Our Correspondent March 06, 2021

Shoe being thrown at Ahsan Iqbal: SCREENGRAB

KARACHI:

Tension between the government and the opposition exasperated by relentless verbal duels boiled over on Saturday as supporters of the ruling PTI and PNL-N got physical in the capital’s red zone and the melee was caught on tape.

The visuals of fist-fight, pushing and shoving caught social media by storm triggering highly abusive trends on the popular microblogging site Twitter. The incident was condemned as manifestation of growing intolerance in politics, with the government and the opposition giving conflicting accounts.

The clashes took place outside the Parliament House where lawmakers had convened to decide whether or not Prime Minister Imran Khan enjoyed the confidence of legislature. The joint opposition had boycotted the session, but interestingly some PML-N leaders showed up to address the media.

The PML-N leaders, including Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Musadiq Malik, Khurram Dastagir, and Marriyum Aurangzeb, heaped scorn on the prime minister who, they claimed, had lost people’s trust.

Meanwhile, supporters of the ruling party allegedly resorted to sloganeering in favour of the prime minister in an effort to disrupt their presser. The PML-N leaders also alleged they were harassed and manhandled by PTI supporters.

Soon video clips popped up on social media showing the brawl from different angles. Some clips show PML-N’s Malik and Abbasi charging at PTI supporters, pushing and even kicking them. Other videos show a shoe hurled at Ahsan Iqbal which hit him on the head in the midst of a crowd of PML-N workers.

Badmash Leaguepic.twitter.com/N0GLkiXlZb
— Azhar Mashwani (@MashwaniAzhar) March 6, 2021

PTI workers were also accused of manhandling PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb who condemned the prime minister as “a thug, bully and a terrorist”. Abbasi, incensed by the scuffle, challenged the PTI to an open duel in front of the cameras.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz heaped praise on her party’s leaders for “fighting back like lions against vote thieves and thugs”. “It is understandable to lose your mind like this after suffering humiliating defeats,” she tweeted.

جس بہادری سے آپ اور دیگر رہنماؤں نے ان ووٹ چور غنڈوں کا مقابلہ کیا ہے اور الٹے پاؤں بھاگنے پر مجبور کر دیا، آپ کو بھی سلام 🙌🏽 https://t.co/Irci8lgOuI
— Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) March 6, 2021

The prime minister’s top aide on political communication regretted what happened outside the Parliament House but laid the blame squarely on the PML-N’s door for provoking the PTI supporters.

“This is not the right attitude. We condemn such behaviour. At the same time, we’re unable to understand that when everyone knew beforehand that our workers had gathered at D-Chowk, then why did they go there and why did they shout slogans [against government and PM Imran]. Our workers were pushed first to provoke them,” Dr Shahbaz Gill wrote on Twitter.

یہ درست رویہ نہیں۔ ہم ایسے روئیے کی مزمت کرتے ہیں۔ ساتھ ہی ساتھ یہ سمجھنے سے قاصر ہیں کہ جب سب کو پتہ تھا کہ ڈی چوک پر ہمارے کارکنان جمع ہوئے ہیں تو یہ ہمارے کارکنان میں لینے کیا گئے۔ پھر وہاں جا کر نعرے بازی کیوں کی گئی۔ کارکنان کو پہلے دھکے دئیے گئے اور پھر یہ ہوا۔ https://t.co/Ln9OocJaPY
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) March 6, 2021

Without naming, he also accused a private news channel of showing the video from an angle that substantiated the PML-N’s narrative on the clashes. “A particular TV channel is requested to also show the part in which Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Musaddiq Malik are torturing our workers,” he wrote in another tweet while sharing a clip in which Abbasi and Malik are charging at the PTI workers and kicking and punching them.

یہ فوٹیج دیکھیں جس میں کارکنان کہہ رہے ہیں کہ آپ واپس چلے جائیں مگر مریم اورنگزیب کہہ رہی ہیں کہ تمہارے باپ کی جگہ ہے اور مصدق ملک کو بھی دیکھ لیں وہ ورکر کو مار رہے ہیں۔ یہ ایک مافیہ ہے۔ یہ جان بوجھ کر ڈرامہ کیا گیا۔ پہلے ہمارے ورکرز میں جان بوجھ کر گئے۔ پھر انہیں اکسایا pic.twitter.com/1uXAfNcm8o
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) March 6, 2021

“One-sided journalism is not correct. Why did they go in the midst of our workers? Did they want to stage a drama? Was this all pre-planned? To resort to hooliganism and then give you this story? Poor script,” he said.

ایک خاص TV چینل سے گزارش ہے یہ والا حصہ بھی دکھائیں جس میں شاہد خاقان اور مصدق ملک کارکنان پر تشدد کر رہے ہیں۔یکطرفہ صحافت درست نہیں- یہ ہمارے کارکنان کے درمیان لینے کیا گئے تھے۔ ڈرامہ کرنے۔ کیا یہ سب پلان تھا۔ یہ جا کر غنڈا گردی کریں اور آپ اس سٹوری کو اٹھائیں ؟ poor script pic.twitter.com/NytKPyBONM
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) March 6, 2021

The PM's focal person on digital media, Arslan Khalid, also accused the PML-N leaders of triggering the scuffle by attacking PTI supporters. He also accused the media of “misreporting the facts”.

Here is complete video in which you can clearly see Shahid Khaqan and Musaddiq Malik attacking the PTI workers first while workers only defended themselves. Frustration is making them attack workers on street.Shame on some media channels who are misreporting this to appease pml-n pic.twitter.com/7o56PiuPtw
— Dr Arslan Khalid (@arslankhalid_m) March 6, 2021

Zardari condemns violence

After the incident, former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Zardari telephoned Ahsan Iqbal and condemned the attack on Abbasi, Iqbal, Malik and Aurangzeb. He said that the insult treatment of Aurangzeb was reprehensible.

Zardari said that the attack on political leaders was a proof of political intolerance. He added that Prime Minister Imran had lost his composure following his political defeat. “Imran Khan has introduced the element of abuse and intolerance in politics and it shows PTI’s undemocratic thinking,” he added.