PTI parliamentary party criticises leadership absence during Islamabad protest

Meeting also decides to continue protests, affirming that returning from Islamabad wouldn't be seen as a failure

Amid the claims being made regarding the protestors killed in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest held in Islamabad on Friday, the PTI parliamentary party raised concerns over the absence of central leadership, questioning their whereabouts.

In a meeting chaired by Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, PTI’s parliamentary party members expressed full confidence in his leadership in the presence of Faisal Amin, Omar Ayub, and Speaker of the K-P Assembly.

The session discussed the violence against PTI workers in the Islamabad protest and the current political situation, with members submitting their suggestions to the committee.

While defending his actions, Gandapur said that he was the last to leave D-Chowk and prioritised saving Bushra Bibi, as her safety was crucial. He added that he would resign from the Chief Ministership or even the Assembly if instructed by PTI's founder.

The meeting also decided to continue protests, affirming that returning from Islamabad wouldn't be seen as a failure. Additionally, committees were formed at the district level to assist detained or missing workers, and legal teams were set up to provide legal aid.

PTI staged a protest in the federal apital which turned violent as the protestors managed to briefly converge on the edge of D-Chowk on day three of the 'final call' for the release of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and then broke all the barriers on their way, including roads closures with containers.

Later on Monday night, the army was summoned with shoot-at-sight orders and a grand operation and crackdown was carried out late against the PTI protesters, in which hundreds of workers were arrested and amid all this chaos and fierce shelling, Bushra Bibi and Gandapur fled in a car.

PTI initially claimed that over 100 of their protesters been killed during the clashes and the operation conducted by law enforcement personnel, but ultimately confirmed that 12 individuals died during the protest.