PTI voices concerns about threats to Imran, Bushra’s lives

Party also condemns ‘forced disappearances’ of its candidates for national and provincial assembly seats

LAHORE:

In a strongly-worded statement released following a core committee meeting on Monday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed serious concerns regarding the safety of the party's founding chairman, Imran Khan, and his wife, Bushra Bibi, during their incarceration.

The party vehemently condemned the alleged provision of inadequate and unsafe sustenance to Bushra Bibi. Furthermore, PTI criticised her continued detention in Bani Gala, contrary to her request for relocation to a proper prison facility.

During the core committee meeting, a call was made for the restoration of fundamental rights for all incarcerated leaders and political activists of PTI, emphasising the importance of treating them in accordance with the law.

PTI also voiced strong condemnation regarding recent cases of forced disappearances targeting the party's candidates for national and provincial assembly seats. Notable instances involving Brigadier (retd) Aslam Ghaman and Ahmar Rashid Bhatti were cited, with the party alleging coercive tactics to force their departure from PTI.

The party demanded the immediate dismissal of the chief secretaries and inspector generals of Punjab and Sindh, advocating for stringent accountability measures. Additionally, PTI urged a thorough investigation by a judicial commission into allegations made by the former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha against the Chief Election Commissioner and the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

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Highlighting unwavering support for PTI Balochistan, the core committee called for the swift release of election results for all national and provincial assembly constituencies in line with Form-45.

The committee expressed unequivocal support for the collaborative efforts between Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM), Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Emphasising the party's increased influence within the Federation of Pakistan following the February 8 elections, the committee issued a stern warning against any attempts to undermine its electoral mandate, cautioning that such actions could fracture national cohesion and weaken the federation.

Meanwhile, addressing a press briefing at the Lahore Press Club, Advocate Ahmad Awais, representing Dr Yasmin Rashid, has highlighted concerns about compromised electoral integrity following the February 8 elections. Awais specifically addressed the electoral contestation in the NA-130 constituency between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif and PTI candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid.

Among the 376 polling stations in this precinct, PTI possesses Form-45s of 334 polling stations. According to official Form-45 records, Dr Yasmin Rashid secured 190,000 votes from these polling stations, while Nawaz Sharif obtained a nominal 8,000 votes. However, discrepancies emerged upon the declaration of the final vote tally, with 189,000 votes attributed to Nawaz Sharif and 100,400 to Dr Yasmin Rashid, who is currently incarcerated. Advocate Owais emphasised a significant disparity, wherein Nawaz Sharif purportedly received 90,000 votes and Yasmin Rashid only 2,000 votes across the remaining 33 polling stations.