Barrister Gohar questions 'terrorism charges' related to rally timings

PTI demands release of members detained after last week's rally in outskirts of federal capital Islamabad.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, condemned the filing of terrorism charges over a delayed political rally, questioning, "Which country in the world files terrorism charges for a rally running an hour late?"

His remarks came during a heated National Assembly session, presided over by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, as opposition members protested.

The session saw PTI leaders demand the release of detained members and the issuance of production orders for their colleagues, who were arrested following a police raid on the parliament premises.

PTI members shouted slogans, calling for justice, while the opposition rallied behind them. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Khursheed Shah backed PTI’s right to speak, stating, "Let them speak, they are part of this house."

PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan also expressed concern over the arrests of party members from parliament by unidentified masked individuals, highlighting the importance of parliamentary sovereignty.

He claimed that discussions had been held in the Speaker’s chamber regarding the issuance of production orders for detained members, but action had yet to be taken.

In response, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar suggested reviewing security footage from the Speaker’s office to clarify the incident, stressing that the truth would emerge.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan described 10 September as a "black day" for the parliament, condemning the arrest of PTI members by masked men.

He criticised the government's handling of the situation, questioning why terrorism charges were filed against party members for a rally delay and warning that such actions were detrimental to the state.

He also expressed gratitude to the police for their respectful treatment of detained members but insisted that their release was the responsibility of the authorities.

Multiple Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including high-ranking figures, have been charged with terrorism-related offences following accusations of violence against police officers during a rally in Islamabad.

The cases, registered at Sangjani and CTD police stations, involve serious allegations under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the “Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024.”

According to an FIR obtained by The Express Tribune, PTI leaders including Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Shoaib Shaheen, Omar Ayub, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Khalid Khurshid, and other prominent figures, are among those charged.

The complaint alleges that the rally organisers were repeatedly informed that their No Objection Certificate (NOC) had expired and that they should disperse the crowd.

Despite multiple warnings from officials, the rally continued with anti-state speeches being delivered from the stage.

According to the FIR, at approximately 8:30 pm, law enforcement requested the organisers to halt the event, but the crowd remained. By 9:30 pm, Magistrate Asim Ali Zaidi and DSP attempted to approach the organisers behind the stage, where the situation escalated.

Several policemen, including Senior Superintendent of Police (Operations) Safe City  Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police Muhammad Shoaib Khan, were also injured in clashes with PTI workers on Sunday.

According to the police spokesperson, these police personnel were injured due to stone pelting by PTI protesters and violent commotion by them.

The injured cops were shifted to hospitals for treatment.Towards the end of the rally, PTI supporters clashed with the police as the latter tried to disperse them.

Footage emerging on television and social media showed the police firing tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.

According to the police, the local administration had designated a timeframe for the rally, but as it exceeded the hours, the police had to attempt to disperse the supporters, which led to clashes and the ultimate use of tear gas shelling.