PTI calls core committee meeting; Qureshi asks party workers to remain peaceful

Reacting to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan’s arrest, party stalwart Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Saturday that a meeting of the core committee has been summoned and urged supporters to not take the law into their hands. “Peaceful protest is our right but no state asset is to be damaged. Don’t take the law in your hands,” he cautioned, in a video statement released shortly after the PTI chief was handed a three-year prison term in the Toshakhanna case. He rejected the verdict issued by a district and sessions court in Islamabad, wherein Judge Humayun Dilawar declared the former premier as established dishonest “beyond doubt”. Qureshi also asked party supporters to continue efforts for the PTI chief’s release peacefully while assuring them that the action plan moving forward is being prepared. This is the second time the former premier has been jailed. In the days following Imran’s detention on May 9, 2023, by the paramilitary Rangers from an Islamabad court’s premises, former foreign minister Qureshi faced multiple arrests. Read SC won’t allow unconstitutional army steps: CJ He was jailed for over a month after being arrested multiple times immediately after release in connection with cases lodged over protests, rioting and vandalism that broke out across the country on May 9 over Imran’s arrest. Qureshi and PTI leader Asad Umar, who had suffered a similar fate, were granted interim bail till August 8 in May 9 cases by an anti-terrorism court in Lahore on July 21. Meanwhile, Imran was released on May 11 by the orders of the Supreme Court, which held that the former premier’s arrest from court premises, where he had appeared for proceedings for the Al-Qadir Trust case, was “illegal”. In subsequent days, however, several other PTI leaders quit the party, several faced legal prosecution. As many as 24 senior leaders had left the party by May 23. Scores of citizens and party workers were also arrested from across the country, with a majority hailing from Punjab, for alleged involvement in attacks on various military installations across the country, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s House and the army’s General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. At least 102 suspects are in army custody undergoing trial in military courts under the Pakistan Army Act 1952 read with Official Secrets Act 1923. The ECP has recently warned the party to hold internal elections as per rules or lose the bat symbol for the upcoming general elections. The PTI’s intra-party elections were scheduled to be held on June 13 in 2021 under the party’s constitution. In May last year, the commission issued a show-cause notice to Imran for his failure to hold intra-party elections of the PTI in his capacity as its chairman. Read 54 amendments proposed to Election Act It later extended the date at the request of the PTI and allowed it to conduct its intra-party elections by June 13, 2022. But the PTI failed to do so. Nothing to do with elections: Info Minister Meanwhile, at a press conference held in Islamabad today (Saturday), incumbent Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Imran’s arrest has nothing to do with the upcoming elections. The government has nothing to do with the PTI chief’s arrest, she said, adding that if the government had wanted to arrest him it would have done so in April 2022, when he was removed from the PM office through a vote of no confidence. The PTI chief failed to satisfy the court on the allegations leveled against him and instead of responding to questions put forth, he resorted to making accusations against the state and its institutions, according to Aurangzeb. The investigation against Imran had been underway for over a year, she said. “Out of 40 hearings, he only appeared for three.” Lashing out at the PTI chief, Aurangzeb accused him of evading accountability and making false statements. She further referred to other corruption cases the party chief is embroiled in. The Toshakhana case was filed against the PTI chief on the basis of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) complaint against him for "deliberately concealing" the gifts he received during his term as the prime minister and retained them from the Toshakhana. When the trial court took up the matter today at 8.30am the PTI chief's senior legal representatives were absent. The court took three recesses before announcing the verdict sometime past noon. Before the decision was announced, Imran's lawyer Khawaja Haris appeared before Judge Dilawar and informed the court that his legal team was barred from entering IHC premises. We want to file for the transfer of this case from your court, he said. However, the judge instructed him to either present final arguments before noon or the verdict will be issued. In his ruling, Justice Dilawar said that the charges against Imran had been proven. Issuing the verdict, the trial court declared the PTI chief guilty of corrupt practices and of making an "incorrect" declaration before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). "The court finds its more than convincing that the complainant (ECP) had provided confidence-inspiring, well-knitted and corroborated evidence, and so the charge against the accused has successfully been proven that the accused has committed offence of corrupt practices by making and publishing false statements/declaration in respect of assets acquired by way of gifts from Toshakhana and disposed of during years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020,” wrote Justice Dilawar in the short order. The Islamabad inspector-general of police (IGP) was instructed to ensure immediate implementation of arrest warrants.

source https://tribune.com.pk/story/2429401/pti-calls-core-committee-meeting-qureshi-asks-party-workers-to-remain-peaceful