Omar Ayub Khan demands an impartial judicial inquiry into the 9th May tragedy

ISLAMABAD, March 3 (SABAH): Addressing the National Assembly after losing the election of the coveted slot of prime minister, PTI-backed SIC lawmaker Omar Ayub Khan dubbed newly-elected Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif a product of Form 47.

Taking the floor in the NA, Omar Ayub Khan accused the ruling alliance of denying a level-playing field to the Imran Khan-founded party. The PTI leader demanded to release of their party’s leadership and women political prisoners.

Talking about the May 9 incident, he said an impartial judicial inquiry should be conducted into the tragedy. On the cipher case, he said “there is a lot of talk about the cipher issue but there is nothing substantial in it while asking, what is the role of the PTI founder in the cipher case?”

He said it is the responsibility of the bureaucrats to protect the cipher and they should be asked in case of any theft. Talking about the electoral symbol, he said the ANP did not conduct intra-party election but they still got the symbol but the PTI’s symbol was taken away and also the party was not allowed to campaign in the election but still it performed miraculously in the elections.

Omar Ayub Khan said the PTI leader wanted to emulate the state of Madinah to provide relief to the masses but a cruel campaign was launched against him. He alleged that Shehbaz Sharif, Mohsin Naqvi and Dr. Usman Anwar are responsible for the past incidents of cruelty against the PTI.

Omar Ayub stressed the need for justice, stating that founding chairman Imran Khan, Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and other leaders have been unjustly detained as political prisoners.

He also urged for adequate facilities to be extended to Bushra Bibi. Omar Ayub vehemently denied PTI’s involvement in the May 9 incidents, instead placing blame on what he characterized as the unconstitutional actions of caretaker governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He alleged widespread arrests of PTI supporters and called for accountability under Article 6 of the Constitution, demanding an impartial inquiry into the events. Expressing dissatisfaction with the coverage of his speech on state television, Omar Ayub slams the delay in broadcasting, despite the Speaker National Assembly’s directive for live transmission.

Omar Ayub continued his address by recounting instances of alleged persecution faced by PTI members, including repeated police raids on his residence and harassment of his family. He condemned the reported torture of PTI workers in custody, highlighting the suffering endured by youths and their families.

Calling for the rule of law to prevail, Omar Ayub squarely blamed Shehbaz Sharif for past tragedies, such as the Wazirabad attack in November 2022, where a PTI worker was martyred. He demanded justice for the victim and urged authorities to apprehend the attackers.

Omar Ayub’s remarks also touched upon recent electoral dynamics, emphasizing PTI’s resilience and the success of independent candidates aligned with the party. He reiterated PTI’s commitment to pursuing legal avenues for justice and transparency.

Addressing internal party matters, Omar Ayub dismissed concerns surrounding intra-party elections and defended PTI’s election symbol choice. He underscored PTI’s unwavering commitment to democratic principles while advocating for national cohesion under a unified constitution.