‘Protest outside GHQ is our right’, says Imran Khan.
People have the right to protest in front of the General Headquarters (GHQ), the headquarters of the Pakistan Army, according to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
The former prime minister stated this in an interview with an international media outlet, as his party is under fire following the violent protests that erupted on May 9 in response to his arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
‘Protest outside GHQ is our right’, says Imran Khan.
Hundreds of PTI supporters and leaders have been arrested for attacking military installations and martyr memorials across the country.
Under the Army Act, some of them have been handed over to the military for trial.
The party has also been hit by back-to-back resignations from party leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari, Imran Ismail, and others.
According to the PTI leader, the Pakistani Constitution and law allow for peaceful protests. “It’s perfectly legal to protest in front of the GHQ,” he said.
Khan said fire incidents occurred at four or five places, including Lahore Corps Commander’s house and Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar, adding that the footage of the CCTV cameras installed at these locations could easily unearth the facts.
“It is a simple and straightforward inquiry,” he said while referring to the probe teams formed by the government to investigate the incidents.
If cases against civilians will be tried in military courts, it means the democracy has ended, he said, adding that “semi-martial law” has been imposed in the country.
They only wanted to eliminate the PTI to make way for Nawaz Sharif, he said, adding that his party did not require electives because it had a large voter base.
When asked about the talks, he stated that the government had not responded.
“Negotiations are desired by those who want a solution,” he said, adding that elections are the only solution to the current situation, but the government is not in this mood.
He claimed that 10,000 PTI employees had been arrested so far.
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