PTI’s Gohar raises issue of protesters’ alleged deaths in NA, demands answers from govt
The PTI on Wednesday reiterated its demand for a probe into the alleged deaths of its supporters during its Islamabad protest last month, as MNA Barrister Gohar Ali Khan called on the government to have the “courage to give answers”.
Gohar’s remarks come a day after National Assembly Opposition Leader Omar Ayub called for a judicial probe into the matter, accusing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of issuing an “order to kill” and alleging that security personnel employed lethal weapons provided by Nato for counterterrorism operations.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had taken the floor to respond to the opposition leader’s speech and refuted all accusations of the opposition, criticising it for using the “provincial card” to build up its false narrative.
The PTI has officially claimed the death of 12 of its supporters during the November 26 protest — when a government crackdown forced the party’s top leadership to retreat — with Gohar “distancing” the party from the “exaggerated” toll of casualties being bandied about on social media.
Speaking on the NA floor today, Gohar said he would confine his speech to the “massacre that took place in Islamabad”.
“Even if bullets have been fired, there should at least be the courage to give answers, show remorse, apologise, investigate, and compensate the people,” the PTI chairman demanded.
“People remember the echo of a bullet for generations; they do not forget.”
While the NA session proceeded without any major disruptions or ruckus, the PTI chairman warned the government of more protests by his party if the demand for a probe was not fulfilled.
“If shots were fired, then responsibility must be assigned. We also demand that justice must be served and want to get it through this House. Do not force us to take to the streets again,” Gohar said.
He asserted that the protesters that had gathered in Islamabad were peaceful, and neither carried any weapons nor used “guerilla force”. “They were Pakistani civilians. They did not have any training.”
Gohar claimed that there was “no progress made” when he asked PPP MNA Khursheed Shah, the head of a special parliamentary committee formed in September, to convene a meeting of the body.
He lamented that Sunni Ittehad Council MNA Sahibzada Hamid Raza, a PTI ally, was the head of the NA’s Standing Committee on Human Rights but its meeting “could not take place” despite him calling for it.
The PTI leader asserted: “I consider today is also a day of mourning for this House as 12 people were martyred on its doorsteps.”
Addressing PML-N’s Asif, Gohar said: “We want to take advantage of your experience Khawaja sahib. You have been in this parliament more than my age, is it becoming of you as a leader to say no bullets were fired?
“This is not the time for revenge but you could have called for a case to be filled, for investigation and brought the record up. These are your citizens and our citizens. We say it is our government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but all the people there are not just PTI’s. People from all ethnicities, all religions, and all political parties live there […] but we did not shoot at anyone.”
Highlighting that protesting was a fundamental right, the lawmaker said: “The beauty of democracy is that we can protest in this Assembly, at public servant offices and the public protests on the streets.”
Gohar said that despite the government terming the PTI as miscreants, the party did not return the label or call the ruling coalition party PML-N “murderer league”.
He recalled the riots in Bangladesh earlier this year, where countrywide protests led to the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina: “Look at what happened to Hasina Wajid who used to call peaceful students miscreants.
“It is PTI’s history that despite all the tyranny it has faced — our people were killed and injured — we did not leave the relationship of respectability.”
The PTI leader also mentioned various incidents around the world where protesters stormed the parliament buildings — in India and Brazil last year; in Sri Lanka in 2022; the 2021 US Capitol Hill incident; in Canada; and last week in South Korea — asking rhetorically: “Did anyone fire a bullet [at protesters] there?”
Echoing yesterday’s attitude, the opposition PTI took a surprisingly subdued tone by opting to participate in the proceedings rather than disrupting it, marking a departure from its past behaviour, when even on minor issues its members had sparked loud protests and disruptions.
Earlier yesterday, the PTI, in a statement issued after a parliamentary party meeting, had announced that its members would lodge a strong protest in the NA over the alleged use of brutal force against the party by the government.
As it was the first sitting after the Nov 26 episode — when PTI workers led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and former first lady Bushra Bibi had to retreat from Islamabad’s Blue Area due to a crackdown — everyone in the Parliament House galleries was expecting to see noisy proceedings.
However, they were surprised to see the opposition members silently listening to the firebrand defence minister, who also made some personal attacks on the opposition leader.
Taking the floor as the first speaker, Ayub had demanded that an “impartial judicial commission” be constituted to ascertain “who fired the bullets and who gave the order to the security forces to open fire on peaceful and unarmed protesters”.
He claimed that 12 PTI supporters were killed, whereas more than 200 were still missing and could be placed in the category of “presumed dead”.
Law minister welcomes opposition using parliament to raise issues
Meanwhile, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar lauded the opposition for utilising the parliamentary forum to raise issues, emphasising it as a hallmark of democracy.
Addressing the NA, Tarar said, “It is encouraging to see opposition members using the parliament to discuss issues rather than confrontation. This is the essence of democracy.”
He highlighted that the people of Pakistan have entrusted their elected representatives to discuss their issues in the parliament, calling it the country’s supreme forum, and work towards effective solutions.
The law minister stressed the importance of engaging in constructive dialogue within the parliament, noting that taxpayers’ money was being used to run the proceedings.
He urged opposition members to engage in constructive criticism and appreciated the government’s steps to stabilise the economy.
Responding to a question, Tarar said that the prime minister had directed the government to take parliamentary business seriously and ensure that ministries addressed issues raised in the House. He also noted that parliamentary rules allow secretaries to respond to questions and “calling attention” notices in the absence of ministers.