THE Anti-Terrorism Court, Faisalabad, delivered convictions to top-tier Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders, including leaders of opposition in National Assembly and Senate and serving MPs, for orchestrating the May 9 riots targeting a sensitive agency’s office and sparking riots and arson.
Out of 284 individuals tried in three separate cases, 195 were convicted and sentenced, while 88 were acquitted. In a related development, the Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad has issued arrest warrants for 50 PTI bigwigs, including ex-Pakistan President Dr Arif Alvi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, tied to a case filed on November 26 at Karachi Company.
The party is viewing these developments and other judicial processes as politically motivated but it has landed itself in hot waters mainly because of hawkish approaches to the political and legal issues as instead of dialogue it continues to rely more on street agitation and social media campaigns. These latest happenings strike a serious blow to the party as these come on the heels of plans announced for a country-wide protest on August 05 to press for release of the jailed founding Chairman of the party – Imran Khan. The award of sentences to the top and middle-tier leadership is likely to have a dampening effect on the ordinary worker. The party complains of victimization with its Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan noting that within just three days six of their MNAs, three MPAs, a senator, the leaders of the Opposition in the National Assembly and Senate, as well as Sunni Ittehad Council chief Hamid Raza and PTI parliamentary leader Zartaj Gul, had been targeted. He has vowed to challenge the verdicts in high courts, which is a right approach but at the same time has also threatened the party might ultimately have to go for a boycott of the Parliament or launch street agitation. It may be pointed out that the party tried these two options repeatedly in the past but such a policy added to its woes, therefore, there are reasons to review this strategy. The PTI is describing verdicts of the courts as flawed, biased and travesty of justice but the government leaders see court verdicts against those involved in May 09 riots as a “historic precedent” that will deter future conspiracies against the state. These partisan narratives notwithstanding, there is a need for a dialogue to promote national reconciliation as the country cannot move forward with certainty in a chaotic environment.
