PTI leaders are condemning the Islamabad police and accused the incumbent government of fascism for stopping Shah Mahmood Qureshi from joining the farmers’ protest.
Late Wednesday, PTI vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was on his way to Islamabad’s F-9 park to the farmers’ protest. However, he was stopped by the Islamabad police from joining the protest.
Videos have emerged of the PTI leader in a heated argument with the police and urging them to let him join the protest. Shah Mahmood Qureshi kept questioning under which law was he not being allowed to join a peaceful protest. To clarify, Article 16 of the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees the basic right to protest.
As a result, PTI leaders are questioning the Islamabad police’s forwardness to bar Shah Mehmood Qureshi from joining the protest.
“Under what law was Shah Mahmood Qureshi prevented from meeting the protesting farmers? It seems the Constitution and law have been abolished from Islamabad,” Asad Umar tweeted.
شاہ محمود قریشی کو احتجاج کرنے والے کسانوں سے ملنے سے روک دیا گیا. کس قانون کے تحت؟ اسلام آباد میں لگتا ہے آئن اور قانون ختم کر دیا گیا ہے
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) September 21, 2022
“Fascism spreading by the day. Constitutional freedoms are being made a mockery of as the imported government and its string pullers try to muzzle the voice of the nation that is Imran Khan and PTI. They forget that power lies with the people,” Shireen Mazari said.
Fascism spreading by the day. Constitutional freedoms being made a mockery of as the Imported govt & its string pullers try to muzzle the voice of the nation that is Imran Khan & PTI. They forget that power lies with the people! https://t.co/qrSv3uA6NY
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) September 21, 2022
“Even the Islamabad police do not know under which law they stopped Shah Mahmood Qureshi from participating in the gathering of farmers,” Fawad Chaudhry tweeted.
Read more: Int’l academics raise concern over Pakistani govt’s ‘fascism’
شاہ محمود قریشی جب کسانوں کے ساتھ یکجہتی کیلئے F-9 پارک اسلام آباد پہنچے تو اسلام آباد پولیس نے انھیں کسانوں کے اجتماع میں شرکت سے روک دیا کس قانون کے تحت؟ یہ پولیس کو بھی پتہ نہیں pic.twitter.com/DrHtw6XlKc
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) September 21, 2022
On the other hand, Shah Mahmood Qureshi himself said that last night’s incident was another nail in the coffin of Pakistan’s democracy. He however vowed that PTI will not sway from its political struggle.
“What happened last night is yet another nail in the coffin of Pakistan’s democracy. The state continues its campaign of hate, having already censored, arrested, tortured, and slandered PTI and media. But we will not be stopped,” Shah Mahmood Qureshi said.
What happened last night is yet another nail in the coffin of Pakistan’s democracy. The state continues its campaign of hate having already censored, arrested, tortured and slandered @PTIofficial & media. But we will not be stopped. Our msg to them:
روک سکو تو روک لو https://t.co/jMdmlN39yb pic.twitter.com/ye34QqYRbt
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) September 22, 2022
Farmers’ protest in Islamabad
Wednesday, the farmers were agitating against the increase in utility bills, taxes and urea price. Farmers from Punjab started reaching F-9 Park to protest against the increase in utility bills, taxes and urea price.
Till the evening, the farmers’ numbers swelled over 1,500. A police official said farmers had given a deadline to the negotiators and said they would march on the Red Zone if their demands were not met.
However, talks between representatives of Kissan Ittehad and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah remained successful after which the farmers called off their protest.
Read more: WATCH: Farmers struggle to get diesel in Pakistan