PTI chief urges president to rein in agencies

Resolution draws Alvi’s attention to ‘brazen acts’ of abduction and ‘sham FIRs’ against PTI members

LAHORE:

PTI Chairman and former premier Imran Khan has urged President Arif Alvi to take notice of the alleged role of the intelligence agencies and establishment in the political affairs of the country and seek an explanation regarding the “black sheep” operating in the state organisations.

In a letter to the president written on January 29, the PTI chief maintained that the party’s core and parliamentary committees had passed a resolution requesting Alvi to act forthwith over the excesses carried out against the state.

“Today, the PTI Core and Parliamentary Committees met and unanimously passed a resolution requesting you as the President and the Supreme Commander of the armed forces to take note of [the] brazen interference by intelligence agencies and some other sections of the establishment in the political sphere,” the letter said.

The former premier noted that the latest example of the agencies’ alleged role was a delay in the announcement of date for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa elections.

Read: Alvi in the crosshairs after Imran’s letter

 “The most recent reflection of this [agencies interference] was the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor’s statement saying he could not give a date for the elections to the K-P legislature, as that would be given by the intelligence agencies and the establishment.”

The resolution also drew the president’s attention to the “brazen acts of abduction, sham FIRs, custodial torture and threats being meted out to the PTI workers and leaders”.

“The resolution calls on you to take notice and action against all these actions that contravene the Constitution, laws of the land and fundamental human rights,” the letter said.

“In addition, he (president) must take note of FIRS, abductions, custodial torture and threatening phone calls against the PTI workers and leaders, being carried out at the behest of these ‘black sheep’ in state organisations. This was bringing infamy on our military, which would lead to strengthening our external enemies and fifth columnists in Pakistan,” it added.

The resolution urged the president to not only take notice of the “excesses, constitutional violations and total destruction of all fundamental right” but also seek an “immediate explanation” regarding the “black sheep identified repeatedly by the party leadership and independent media”.

Meanwhile, speaking to the media, PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati raised a series of questions over the current political and economic situation in the country.

“Who is responsible for destroying the country’s economy? Who is ruining peace of Pakistan? Who is earning bad name for the state and its armed forces through his actions? Who is above the law?” he asked.

The PTI leader urged people from all walks of life to play their due role for “real freedom” in the country.

He said the nation was asking who murdered Arshad Sharif and who ordered the arrest of Imran Riaz Khan and Sheikh Rashid.

“If these arrests can bring stability and prosperity in the country, I am ready to get arrested,” he maintained while condemning arrests and FIRs against PTI leaders and workers.