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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

“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.

 

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”.

 

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.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ