FIA widens probe into Imran’s debacle post

Summons three more PTI leaders; Alvi defends call for releasing Hamoodur Rahman Commission report

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has issued notices to three more PTI leaders, widening the scope of its investigation into a controversial post regarding the East Pakistan debacle shared from the official X account of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.

Former prime minister Imran has already been issued a notice in this regard.

According to official sources, the FIA has summoned Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, and Raoof Hasan for an inquiry on Tuesday at 11 am.

On May 26, Imran Khan's account on the social media platform X shared a video with a quote attributed to him: “Every Pakistani should study the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report and get to know who was the true traitor, General Yahya Khan or Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”

The video argued that the former military dictator was responsible for the country's breakup, referring to alleged atrocities committed by the Pakistani military during the civil war that ensued in the former East Pakistan after the delay in transferring power to Mujib, whose party, the Awami League, had swept the December 1970 polls.

The post also included images of the current civilian and military leadership, alleging they stole the party’s mandate in the February 8 general elections. The post generated intense backlash and controversy, particularly from government ranks, who termed it “alarming” and accused the PTI of “continuously fueling the narrative of hatred and incitement” by comparing Imran to Sheikh Mujib.

Sensing the sensitivity surrounding the subject, the PTI leadership later started providing explanations, with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan saying that Imran did not see the text of all the posts.

Reportedly, Gohar defended the post but said it was taken out of context and that the PTI drew a comparison of today’s situation with 1971 in a political context and not otherwise, emphasizing that it had nothing to do with the army.

Read Imran-Mujib debacle: ‘No more posts on Imran’s X account sans prior approval’

In an interview on Express News's program "Centre Stage," PTI’s Ali Muhammad Khan stated that the current situation bore no resemblance to the events of 1971 and that PTI's founder was not Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He said the PTI's stance on the matter is “purely political,” adding that moving forward, “no posts will be made from the founder's account without his explicit approval.”

However, on Friday, the PTI core committee noted that “in order to save Pakistan from serious internal challenges of 1971 style, to learn from history and to inform the public about the facts, the Hamoodur Rehman Commission report should be released immediately.”

The party dismissed the FIA investigation into the post and the registration of any possible new case against Imran based on the tweet.

On Thursday, the FIA Cyber Crime Cell team had reached Adiala Jail after obtaining permission from the Judicial Magistrate in Islamabad to question the incarcerated PTI founder.

However, Imran Khan refused to answer the FIA team's questions, insisting that he would only respond in the presence of his lawyers.

The FIA claims that the video aimed to incite public agitation against the state and its institutions, potentially spreading fear and unrest among the populace.

The notices highlight concerns that such provocative content could encourage people to take the law into their own hands, posing a threat to public safety and order.

In a post on X, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui on Saturday said: "There is no harm in reading or teaching the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report, but the harm lies in the intention and mental disturbance that has suddenly awakened after 53 years. The PTI ruled for four years. Why did it not publicize this report in the media during its tenure? Even now, there is time. They can make it part of the curriculum in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's educational institutions to satisfy themselves," he added.

PTI leader and former president of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi on Saturday questioned the accusations of treason associated with reading the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report.

Speaking at a convention titled "Rule of Law" organized by the Insaf Lawyers Forum at the City Court in Karachi, Alvi defended incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan’s call to read the report.

“What treason is there in reading the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report?” Alvi asked. “Bhutto covered up the Hamoodur Rahman Commission, but you executed him. Every civil government covered it up, but what have you done? You’ve branded Ghaffar Khan, Wali Khan, Mufti Mahmood, and now the PTI founder as traitors,” he added.