Salman Akram Raja says the world is looking at Pakistan in horror as country has become lawless state.
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership on Wednesday denounced the alleged abduction of party’s MNA Khawaja Sheraz Mehmood, saying that it was high time to take to the streets to protest against brutalities unleashed on the party, its supporters and elected representatives.
Speaking at a press conference flanked by party Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and Information Secretary Seikh Waqas Akram, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said they were often holding press conferences to inform the public about the party’s stance and the circumstances surrounding the party founding chairman Imran Khan.
However, Gohar mentioned that today’s presser was specifically regarding Khawaja Sheraz, whose house was raided last night by unknown masked men in the same old fashion by breaking doors and harassed the children and other family members. They took him away to an undisclosed location, he added.
PTI chairman stated that they knew nothing about his whereabouts hitherto but some of his family members believed that he was taken to Islamabad to the “big house”, which was deplorable.
He recalled that it was not the solitary incident but recently Imran Khan’s focal person and senior lawyer Intezar Hussain Panjhuta was also abducted and was left at the roadside in a deplorable condition.
He said Sheraz was abducted due to his unwavering stance on constitutional amendments, as after his prolonged stay in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he endured targeted harassment. Gohar said initially, the lawmaker’s Taunsa Sharif residence in Punjab was vandalized, and last night masked individuals forcibly entered his Multan home to abduct him.
He lamented that the fascism and lawlessness were ruling the roost and PTI was its main target in Punjab in which the provincial government and its police were equally involved.
He demanded the National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to take notice of the tragic and unfortunate incident, because Sheraz was an elected member of the lower house and a chairman of a standing committee. PTI chairman urged that this fascism must be brought to an end immediately and called upon the Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi to take swift action.
He highlighted that on January 3, the Supreme Court had ruled that no individual should be taken from his home without a warrant, unless named in an FIR. “I brought this issue to the prime minister’s notice, but our MNAs are still being abducted,” he added. Gohar recalled that a committee was formed to protect parliamentarians after the abduction of PTI MPs from the parliament house but of no good.
On the occasion, Salman Akram Raja stated that the world was looking at them in horror and asking questions that must be asked as Pakistan became truly a lawless state. He said abduction was being used as a tool to coerce and to cause vote take place in NA and Senate.
“Everything else seemed to be irrelevant, as our legal system and our courts have become helpless,” he said, adding that the world was now wondering as where Pakistan was headed. He said what happened to Sheraz was horrifying which was now happing on daily basis especially in Punjab. A key member of Khan’s legal team was abducted a month ago and false story of his abduction for ransom was reproduced after his release, which was nonsense, he added.
PTI secretary general stated that Pakistan was being run on abduction and torture and called upon world community to take notice of it.
“This is a moment when the world must wake up and take notice of the disaster taking place in Pakistan, which reduced it to a fascist state where no one’s honour, life and dignity was safe.”
Speaking on the occasion, Sheikh Waqas revealed disturbing details about the treatment meted out to Sheraz and his family.
He narrated that MNA’s house was raided by unknown masked men at mid night when he was taking a bath, and his family was held at gunpoint to know about his whereabouts.
Waqas stated that when Sheraz came out, he was also held at gunpoint and only allowed to wear his shoes, adding that his hands were fastened and his face was covered in front of his wife.
The information secretary said Sheraz’s wife informed that masked men were not only unknown because they were accompanied by police personnel.
However, he said it was not the first incident rather it became a set practice, as every now and then PTI elected representatives were being subjected to such treatment, which was condemnable and it must be brought to an end.
“We can’t understand why this is happening even after the passage of 26th Amendment and six bills,” he wondered.
He demanded Sheraz’s “safe and unhurt release at the earliest.”
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