–At least 30 PPP workers, including two lawmakers, detained as police resort to baton-charge on gathering outside NAB office
–NAB questions PPP chairman in Opal case, tells him to respond to questionnaire within 10 days
–Bilawal condemns use of force on ‘peaceful citizens’, says workers weren’t even protesting
–Says Imran wants to impose one-party rule in country by shrinking space for dissent
ISLAMABAD: At least 30 people, including two lawmakers, were arrested on Wednesday after Islamabad Police resorted to baton charge and tear gas to disperse Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) workers gathered at D-Chowk to show support for party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as he appeared before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
As Bilawal appeared before the accountability watchdog for questioning in the fake accounts case, police and jiyalas reportedly scuffled, leading to some unruly scenes. As a result, police rounded up dozens. Among the detainees were two lawmakers, Mussarat Rafiq Mahesar and Shazia Sobia.
The PPP chief “completely and utterly condemned the state brutality” against party workers.
“Every Pakistani has the right to participate in democracy and the right to the freedom of assembly as well as freedom of speech,” he said.
He was addressing a press conference following his NAB hearing. He said the government had neither imposed Section 144 nor there were any emergency measures in place, questioning the motives behind the arrest.
The PPP chief said the party had not given a call for protests and that the workers and the lawmakers were accompanying him to the bureau in an act of solidarity. “It is not written anywhere in the law that your companions cannot accompany you,” he quipped.
He said in spite of that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government attacked the party workers. He said the Imran-led government used force against peaceful citizens, as the party workers weren’t even protesting.
“I don’t even say peaceful protestors because they weren’t protesting” and the government used “water cannons, baton charge and tear gas against the protesters”.
However, these repressive tactics are not new to the PPP, he said, vowing to stand by “on principles and our ideology”. “We do not fear such tactics nor will we compromise on our principles or our ideology.”
The PPP chairman also criticised newly-installed interior minister, Brig (r) Ijaz Shah, saying the “old ways” of Shah were becoming visible. “This should not take place in a so-called democracy.” Shah was the chief of Intelligence Bureau during the regime of General Pervez Musharraf. He has often been accused of arm-twisting the opposition and clamping down on dissent.
“PM Imran was depending on conspiracies to seize all institutions of the country and to impose one-party rule,” said Bilawal, adding that no form of constructive criticism was being tolerated.
The PPP chief said that he had asked for a record of the video footage of today’s incident and was ready to use all legal means.
BILAWAL GRILLED IN OPAL CASE:
According to reports, the NAB combined investigation team questioned the PPP chief for at least 30 minutes in the JV Opal case.
He denied any connection to the allegations made by the bureau and was given a questionnaire to reply within 10 days.
Security was tightened ahead of the PPP chairman’s appearance and the government had also issued a notification to this effect.
According to the notification issued on Wednesday, the Islamabad admin directed the home secretaries of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to ensure that political workers are prevented from entering Islamabad Capital Territory.
This was condemned by PPP senior leadership, including secretary general Nayyar Bukhari, Sherry Rahman and Farhatullah Babar.
