‘Reign of terror’ controlled by ‘another force’

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the “reign of terror” in the country was not controlled by “puppets” in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), but by “another force”.

The former prime minister made the remarks in a series of tweets, wherein he recounted the arrests of several workers and leaders of his party in recent days.
Moreover, the PTI chairman also approved a two-member delegation comprising Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry to appear before the Supreme Court on Thursday (today) to apprise the top court of the party’ s stance in a case related to the holding of elections in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

In a veiled reference to the establishment, he held the “powers that be” responsible for the PTI leaders and workers abductions.

“The way we have descended into becoming a banana republic where there is no rule of law and only law of the jungle; it is clear that this reign of terror is not controlled by the PDM puppets but by another force that sees itself totally above the law,” the PTI chief said in a series of tweets.

“Our people are abducted and afterwards sham FIRs are registered,” he continued. “As bail in one FIR is granted, another FIR pops up. I have over 145 FIRs against me. It is a circus of FIRs. My Bani Gala caretaker, my Zaman Park cook, our social media's Mashwani, Waqas and my security in-charge Ghumman -- all abducted and tortured -- to try and update their software.”

Imran noted that PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur was granted bail in one “sham” case but simultaneously another FIR was registered against him, adding that now he was being taken to Lahore by the police.

“Despite his (Gandapur) falling ill on the way and being taken to hospital, he was removed from hospital before he had stabilised. Now total fascism prevails,” he tweeted.

Addressing party workers during Iftar, the PTI chief said that every worker of his party could become a “big leader”. “People always respect an honest person. No leader can earn respect by threatening people but through his conduct. Honesty and truthfulness are the main traits of any successful leader and no coward can become leader.”

PTI Central President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi vowed to continuing support the PTI chief, saying “no matter how many cases the government register, we will not leave Imran Khan’s side”.