Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan urged Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar and Sikandar Sultan Raja Chief Election Commissioner to pass immediate and clear instructions for the early release of PTI leaders and activists, who were disappeared under a well-orchestrated pre-poll rigging campaign and to dismantle PTI, the only federal political party.
In a separate letter written to the caretaker PM and the CEC on behalf of the PTI Core Committee, Omar Ayub said that he wanted to bring to their attention to the issue of enforced disappearances, which was the most serious of all the violations of the law and the Constitution happening right now as part of an orchestrated pre-poll election rigging campaign against PTI.
He said that in the context of preparation for a free, fair, and impartial election, the impunity with which individuals linked to PTI are being illegally arrested and disappeared, is perhaps the most blatant and open form of pre-poll rigging happening in the country, besides it is an exceptionally serious violation of Pakistan’s system of law and justice.
He reminded that mothers, fathers, wives, brothers, sisters and children are suffering due to these enforced disappearances. Omar Ayub said that Sadaqat Ali Abbasi former PTI MNA, missing since September 1; Usman Dar former PTI SAPM, missing since September 10; Abdul Kareem Khan PTI ticket holder from Lahore, missing since September 19; Awais Younus PTI Lahore Secretary Information, missing since September 19; Farrukh Habib former Federal Minister of State, missing since September 27 and Sheikh Rasheed former federal minister, missing since September 17.
PTI SG made it clear: “Unless these people are released, and the law enforcement agencies, and any other agencies involved are reprimanded to immediately desist from such practices, I am afraid that no question exists of the upcoming elections being even remotely free or fair.”
