- Judicial commission requested for May 9 incident.
- Dialogue is considered crucial for a political resolution.
- Relief sought for detained PTI leaders.
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi has demanded justice despite being behind bars for the past one and a half years.
“If I am guilty, punish me…if I am innocent, give me redress,” Qureshi said while speaking informally to the media outside an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Friday. He is currently incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat prison in Lahore.
Qureshi, the former foreign minister, criticized the government’s approach in handling political dissent and called for dialogue. “PTI is a major political party, and banning it would be wrong,” he said.
Qureshi further called for the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
During the May 9 protests, miscreants targeted civilian and military installations, including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The army declared May 9 as “Black Day” and decided to try the PTI protesters under the Army Act.
PTI founder Imran Khan, however, accuses “agency men” of arson and firing in some areas during the violent protests on May 9.
Qureshi also called for relief for other detained party leaders, including Yasmin Rashid and Ijaz Chaudhry.
“A conducive environment for negotiations can only emerge if the government changes its tone,” the senior PTI leader added.
This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.