PTI withholds payment of company responsible for arranging the rally over mismanagement
Naeemul Haq says party won’t rely on police in future; says PTI will contract private security company to cover rallies in future
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) finally unveiled their long-awaited enquiry report regarding the harassment of women during the party’s Foundation Day rally.
Despite a month long enquiry, no culprits were named in the report even though it was announced at the time that PTI Information Secretary Naeemul Haq had been tasked with punishing those involved in harassing women during the rally.
Instead of fixing individual responsibility, the committee identified flaws in its report that led to the incident where a number of women participating in the rally were harassed. The incident was repeated a week later in Lahore where women participants were once again harassed.
The PTI’s enquiry report expresses the resolve to adopt standard operating procedures to avoid recurrence of such incidents in the party’s rallies in future.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan, taking serious notice of the women’s harassment during the rally at F-9 Park on April 24, had constituted a four-member committee headed by PTI Information Secretary Naeemul Haq.
Other members of the committee included MNA Nafeesa Khattak, Col (r) Younus Ali Raza and Talat Naqvi.
NAEEMUL HAQ, THE RIGHT HAND OF JUSTICE:
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Naeemul Haq said that the enquiry committee had examined the video and photographic evidence of the incident and took down the statements of eyewitness and organisers to ascertain the facts and to bring the culprits to book.
He said that the committee presented its report before Chairman Imran Khan, who said that if the party’s workers are found involved, they will be expelled from the party forthwith.
He said that the company responsible for the management of the party’s public gathering was the most to blame for the whole fiasco because it did not make arrangements according to the plan. He said that this is the reason the party had not paid the due amount to the company so far.
Avoiding naming any party, Naeemul Haq said that workers of other political parties as well as strangers also turned up for the PTI rally in huge numbers because Imran Khan is a popular leader of the country.
Giving example of recent manhandling of journalists in London by anti-PTI elements, he said that such people are responsible for harassing women, because they committed shameful acts to defame the party.
He admitted that the management of the rally was quite poor, as there was no safe exit for women. Additionally, the party workers had not been properly trained to stop the flood of the masses.
‘YOU’RE OUTRAGED, ARE YOU?’:
To a question, he said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) women leaders should have raised voice against killing of women by police in Model Town instead of unnecessarily criticising the PTI leadership over the harassment of women.
Criticising the role of the police, he said that they were either not trained enough to deal with such a situation or they had been given special directives not to stop the hooligans.
He expressed optimism that no such unfortunate incidents would occur again as the party had decided to hire services of a private security company for future rallies.
TORS IMPASSE:
Talking about the impasse between the government and opposition parties over formulation of Terms of Reference (TORS), Naeemul Haq said that Federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar has assured that new proposals will be tabled to end the stalemate.
He, however, said that the TORs committee is supposed to complete its work by June 10, as the opposition just wants answer for its 15 questions and it has no objection if the government wants to add a few questions too.
Naeemul Haq said that the country is passing through a critical phase especially after the Panama Papers revelations; hence, it is important to settle the matter at the earliest.
Wishing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif early recovery, he said that Imran Khan currently has no plans to visit London to inquire about the prime minister’s health.
Naeemul Haq expressed shock over Federal Minister for Railways Saad Rafique’s remarks and said that it is quite unfortunate that when the nation is praying for Nawaz Sharif’s health, he is taking the time to attack Imran Khan and the KP government.
He said that the PTI, after coming into power, will flush the country of the rats who are eating up the very roots of the country for the last 30 years.
He said that the government is going to present its budget next week amid poor performance. He said that no target was achieved during the last financial year which indicates the government’s poor financial policies.
Naeemul Haq demanded of the government to present a people-friendly budget where education and health are the main focus.
Few moments with PTI members and one feels like sitting in a jungle.
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