WASHINGTON: Pakistani Americans in large number gathered outside the White House on Sunday, demanding an end to the ongoing crackdown against former premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Pakistanis staged multiple demonstrations in other cities as well.
پاکستان سے محبت کرنے والے اوورسیز جو امریکہ میں عمران خان کے حق میں احتجاج کررہے ہیں ۔جانی بشیر نے اس احتجاجی پروگرام کو ترتیب دے کر عمران خان سے محبت اور یکجہتی کا ثبوت دیا ہے ۔! pic.twitter.com/vDLASWr3Iu
— Abbas Shabbir (@Abbasshabbir72) March 20, 2023
The demonstration was arranged after series of reports of police raids being conducted in Punjab and Islamabad in which a number of PTI leaders and workers were rounded up. There had been no official word from any quarter about the arrest or the legality of the action.
ہم لےکہ رہیں گئےآزادی امریکہ کی مختلف ریاستوں میں احتجاج کا سلسلہ جاری
Protest rally in Houston USA pic.twitter.com/IwEFcMScL7
— Zafar Cheema PTI USA official (@ZafarCheemapti) March 20, 2023
Also read: Several PTI members rounded up in overnight police raids across Islamabad, Lahore
PTI Chairman Imran Khan too demanded immediate release of workers and their children who, as per his claim, ‘abducted’ in police raids.
Also read: Khan demands immediate release of all workers, children ‘abducted’ in raids
“We are here to draw attention to the deteriorating human rights situation and the threat to democracy in Pakistan,” said Junaid Bashir, a senior PTI leader in Virginia. “We want the government to immediately stop intimidating Imran Khan.”
امریکہ سے تازہ ترین ???????? pic.twitter.com/YcIqGP4F6W
— Abbas Shabbir (@Abbasshabbir72) March 20, 2023
Akbar Chaudhary, who has been working with Mr Khan since the 1990s, said the present set of rulers in Islamabad “are a threat to Pakistan and they must be removed now”.
Kamran Rizvi, a PPP stalwart, said he had to “speak up” as “it would be criminal” not to condemn what has been happening there. “What we witnessed during the last few days is not politics. It’s an attack on democracy and democratic values.”
The protesters included a large number of women.
“The establishment must realize the mistake it is making,” said PTI leader Khalid Tanvir.
Mazhar Lillah, also a PTI leader, added: “Now is the time for the establishment to accept civilian spremacy.”
A statement distributed at the gathering urged the international community to take action by calling on the installed regime in Pakistan to immediately cease ‘violations’ of fundamental human rights, stop ‘custodial torture’ by security agencies, hold free and fair elections in Punjab and KP, cease victimisation of political opponents through arrests and false charges, withdraw all politically motivated cases, stop curtailing press freedom, cease subjecting peaceful protestors to police brutality and release all political workers being held in custody on frivolous and trumped-up charges, provide adequate security to Imran Khan, and hold those responsible for the atrocities accountable under the law.
