Web Desk (LTN NEWS): Fawad Chaudhry, a leader of the PTI, criticized the party’s own governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday for “failing party workers” by “not responding appropriately” to the coalition government’s actions against their leader Imran Khan, the alleged torture of Shahbaz Gill, and the May 25 incident.
Mr. Chaudhry tweeted, “Let me make it clear to our provincial governments that people didn’t vote for you to become a minister.” “Whether it was trying to arrest Imran Khan, what happened on May 25, or arresting and torturing Shahbaz Gill and [other] political workers, you have let the workers down. Those in charge of the 25 km around Islamabad have turned into thugs.”
When asked about his criticism of the PTI provincial governments, the former information minister told Dawn that he had talked about the “frustration and disappointment” of PTI workers over the “failure” of the party’s provincial governments to give a proper response to the “fascist tactics” of the Shehbaz administration.
“Nothing has been done yet to punish those who tortured PTI leaders and workers in Punjab and KP on May 25. How did more than a dozen PML-N MPAs who were wanted in Punjab for crimes make it to Islamabad? Who helped them get away? “Who gives orders to the Punjab Inspector General of Police and the Chief Secretary?” he asked.
He also didn’t understand why the PTI provincial governments hadn’t said anything about the “witch hunt” against Imran Khan by the federal government. “The PTI workers want the federal coalition government to get what it deserves for the illegal things it has done to the party chairman, its leaders, and its workers,” he said.
Even though the Punjab police had warrants for at least a dozen PML-N provincial lawmakers, they were not able to arrest them last week. The lawmakers were accused of being involved in the violence that happened in the Punjab Assembly on April 16 during the election of the new chief minister.
The MPAs were able to escape to Islamabad, where their party is in charge. This made people in the PTI wonder how they didn’t get caught and say that “some insiders” must have helped them get away.
Sources say that some PTI leaders blamed the “poor strategy” of Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar for the failed operation to arrest the PML-N legislators.
The PTI’s leaders say that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and the then-chief minister of Punjab, Hamza Shehbaz, took “brutal action” against party leaders and supporters during the party’s long march on Islamabad on May 25.
The PTI says that the minister of the interior would have to pay for his part in the crackdown. Hamza Shehbaz is in London for an “unknown amount of time.”
“Hamza was able to get away to London. Before he went to London, we should have done something about his part in the May 25 episode, Mr. Chaudhry said.
