• In presser after ‘escape’ from Islamabad, KP CM claims he and Bushra ‘targeted’ by snipers, announces Rs10m each for families of those ‘killed in crackdown’
• Omar Ayub seeks probe into security personnel’s death

MANSEHRA: A defiant Ali Amin Gandapur, who along with Bushra Bibi led PTI’s final protest in Islamabad but had to retreat during a crackdown on Tuesday night, on Wednesday refused to bow down to “the killing spree”.

“Our sit-in at D-Chowk will continue, and we will not end it until our leader Imran Khan calls it off,” the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa announced at a presser held four hours behind schedule in the Insaf Secretariat.

CM Gandapur, former first lady Bushra Bibi, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and others arrived here in the early hours of Wednesday after law enforcement agencies launched the crackdown against the protesters in the federal capital.

“Hundreds of party workers have been killed or injured by direct fire by law enforcement agencies. We will compensate the families of those who lost their lives with Rs10 million each, and the injured will receive quality treatment,” he declared.

Mr Gandapur hinted at lodging an FIR against the law enforcement agencies and those responsible for firing at him and Bushra Bibi.

“Bushra Bibi and I, the chief minister of KP, were directly targeted by snipers in an assassination attempt. We both escaped unhurt by luck in the federal capital, which is supposed to symbolise national unity,” he said and added, “If a chief minister narrowly escaped the bullets during a peaceful protest, one can only imagine the brutalities faced by ordinary party workers and protesters.”

He emphasised that PTI’s ongoing peaceful sit-in in the federal capital was for upholding the supremacy of law and the constitution and for securing Imran Khan’s release.

“We firmly stand with our workers who have faced bullets for Imran Khan and those who have been arrested will be provided legal assistance by party lawyers for securing their early release,” Mr Gandapur said.

During the press conference, which turned into a public gathering, Omar Ayub accused the Punjab police of infiltrating Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to arrest PTI workers.

“We are going to file an FIR against the Punjab police for crossing into KP’s jurisdiction to arrest our workers,” he said.

Mr Ayub also demanded an impartial inquiry into the killing of a Rangers man.

“I, like other party leaders, narrowly escaped direct fire. We will not allow the federal government to continue killing our workers without accountability,” he stated.

Earlier, a high-level meeting chaired by CM Gandapur was held at the New Circuit House to discuss the situation arising from the law enforcement agencies’ crackdown on the Islamabad protest.

The meeting, attended by KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Khan, Home Secretary Abid Majid, Hazara Commissioner Zaheerul Islam, and Deputy Inspector General of Police Tahir Ayub lasted for half an hour.

Later, Mr Gandapur, Bushra Bibi and other party leaders left for Peshawar by helicopter to avoid travelling through the Punjab territory.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2024