Govt in push to convict Imran as PTI prepares for 'final push'

LAHORE:

As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ramps up its efforts to secure the release of its founder, Imran Khan, from prison with a "final push", the federal government has redoubled its efforts to secure convictions against him and other party leaders involved in the 9 May rioting.

In a live broadcast that was framed as a news conference, Information Minister Ata Tarar showcased a montage of what he described as previously unseen footage, presenting it as a smoking gun in the May 9 rioting case.

He called for the courts to convict Imran Khan and PTI leadership, accusing them of inciting violence and causing damage to state institutions.

Tarar also urged PTI and its leader to publicly apologise for their alleged role in the incident, referring to it as a "heinous crime against the state".

The renewed push comes just ahead of PTI's much-anticipated rally in Islamabad, which has been billed as a final showdown.

The PTI, in a bid to rally international support, has also secured a letter from 46 US congressmen urging outgoing President Joe Biden to advocate for the release of political prisoners, among other demands.

Meanwhile, to prevent the rally from taking place, law enforcement authorities have already launched a sweeping crackdown on PTI leaders and supporters throughout Punjab.

During the live broadcast, Tarar said that PTI founders and leaders have been incessantly demanding for the CCTV footage of the May 9 rioting all the while denying their involvement in the unfortunate episode.

He claimed that there was a plethora of audio and video recordings implicating senior PTI leaders, including Yasmin Rashid, Shehryar Afridi, Murad Saeed, and Usman Dar, who could be heard directing protesters toward key military sites such as the GHQ and the Corps Commander House.

He accused PTI of attempting to damage military installations and desecrate memorials to martyrs as part of a broader political agenda.

He also noted that these protests were led by party MNAs and MPAs, adding that some leaders, including Shafqat Mehmood and Samsam Bukhari, did not see eye to eye on this plan and stepped back.

He said the intent was to destroy defence and military installations and desecrate martyr memorials to build a political narrative for their party, excluding his sisters, nephew and leaders from the plan.

Tarar later presented a montage of videos showing attacks on military installations in Lahore, Gujranwala, Mianwali, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Mardan to substantiate the allegation of PTI's involvement in the 9 May rioting.

He added that PTI's plan, like previous ones, aimed to damage the country's defence and tarnish its image globally.

Tarar said that the videos, which featured scenes of police and security personnel trying to thwart PTI protesters, also highlighted the use of nails and batons by protesters, which resulted in injuries to police officers, including the then-DIG of Lahore.

However, some of the footage raised questions about security forces' response.

Strangely, the video footage did not show any attempts by the police to intercept the protesters. In fact, in at least two instances, a lone protester was seen attempting to snatch a baton from a police officer dressed in anti-riot gear, standing among other officers in tactical armour.

On both occasions, the police made no attempt to push back against the protesters.

Another notable element in the videos was the presence of a relatively manageable crowd, which appeared to have been allowed to assemble without interference.

Tarar, however, countered the notion that the police made no serious attempt, claiming that the videos actually showed the police trying to stop the protesters, albeit peacefully.

In one segment, the live broadcast included a comment from PTI leader Barrister Gohar, followed by a headline stating, "If they bring forth 9 May videos proving PTI's involvement, I would apologise," a statement that seemed to allude to Imran Khan. Ata asked whether PTI leaders would apologise after watching the videos.

He stressed that those involved deserved strict punishment and urged the court for a swift resolution of the nine cases, warning that the culprits must not be allowed to entertain the thought of repeating such actions.

In a final round of video evidence, Tarar showcased interviews with former PTI members who had distanced themselves from the party following the 9 May violence. Some of these individuals expressed regret for their involvement and accused PTI leaders of orchestrating the attacks on military installations.

It is pertinent to mention here that the press conference Ata was referring to, at one point, became the butt of the joke since all of them used a similar script and it was seen as a desperate bid to extricate themselves from the slew of cases filed against them.

It was noted that those who stood their ground were still languishing in jail, while those who distanced themselves from the party after the infamous press conference were allowed to walk free.

It is also important to mention that PTI has long demanded evidence of Imran Khan's involvement in the 9 May rioting or videos showing PTI leaders ordering any attack on military installations.

The videos shown by the information minister brought forward nothing new or substantive. In fact, they cast doubts over the security protocols adopted on 9 May.