Omar slams ‘brutal’ police actions

Vows to keep the torch burning for justice, warns 'clock is ticking for govt'

ISLAMABAD:

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan blasted police on Friday for “unleashing a reign of terror on peaceful protestors” on May 9, vowing that nothing could deter them from continuing their struggle for supremacy of the

Constitution and the rule of law.

Speaking at a news conference conference, Omar said that fascist and mandate-less governments at the Centre and in Punjab were standing on crutches, adding that their days were numbered and soon a government with public mandated would take the reins of the country.

He said that PTI took out rallies across the country on May 9 but brutal Punjab police inflicted upon the peaceful protestors and even they lodged FIRs against him, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, Shoaib Shaheen and Amir Mughal even though they did not break a flower pot.

He condemned the police attempts to detain the PTI chairman and the use of forces against peaceful protestors who were exercising their constitutional right to protests. “Police gardi has been on its peak in Pakistan, especially in Punjab, where the department is ruined by IG Punjab Dr Usman,” he alleged.

The PTI secretary general stated that at least 16 unarmed innocent persons were martyred and hundreds others severely injured as a result of direct firing of security personnel on May 9, while no security man sustained injuries because the PTI protestors were peaceful and unarmed.

He also said that they did what they could have done but they could not deter them, and the party’s peaceful movement for ensuring supremacy of the Constitution and establishing rule of law would continue until Pakistan was made a truly independent country, where Constitution and the law reigned supreme.

About his meeting with the PTI founder Imran Khan on May 9, Omar stated that he gave a message of hope to the nation and stated that they would continue their just battle for upholding the rule of law till their last breath.

Khan made it clear that this fascist government with stolen mandate, would not last for long and eventually the truth would prevail, as the public had already announced their verdict on February 8, 2024 in favour of the PTI and Imran Khan.

Omar stated that when agencies were involved in politics, there was no rule of law, and when there was no rule of law in the country, then there was no foreign investment in the country, which generated unemployment.

He stated that Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi and other party leaders were implicated in bogus and fabricated cases and all these leaders would instantly be cleared of these bogus cases if due process was followed.

About a meeting with the US envoy, Omar stated that they conveyed to him that they wanted rule of law and constitutional supremacy in the country, adding that US was the largest trading partner of Pakistan and wanted to further expend trade cooperation because it would not only help generate employment opportunities but it would help create markets for Pakistani companies products.

The opposition leaders strongly denounced the police’s use of force against Jamaat-e-Islami peaceful protestors.