PTI’s Charter of Demands a “Pack of Accusations”: Irfan Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, and Senator Irfan Siddiqui held a press conference on Thursday, addressing the opposition’s demands and the ongoing legal proceedings related to recent political events. The government’s response highlighted their stance on the opposition’s claims and the current judicial processes.

Rana Sanaullah clarified that the government would prepare a final response to the opposition’s demands, acknowledging that two key demands had been raised by the PTI. However, he noted that the opposition had withdrawn its earlier call for the return of the mandate, which had been a central issue.

Criticism of Opposition Claims

Sanaullah criticized the opposition, particularly the PTI, for alleging that the cases against their leaders were politically motivated. He pointed out that the opposition had failed to provide specifics, including the FIR numbers of the cases or any details regarding the workers involved. He emphasized that the judicial process was actively addressing these issues.

“The Islamabad High Court, including the Chief Justice and two other judges, has already taken notice of the arrest of the founder, and the cases are currently under trial in the Anti-Terrorism Court,” said Sanaullah. He also mentioned that military courts were handling cases related to damages to military properties.

Inquiry Commission Questioned

The government also responded to the opposition’s recent call for the formation of an inquiry commission. Sanaullah questioned the necessity of such a commission, stating that it would be redundant since many of the issues raised by the opposition were already under trial. He added that all arrests had been carried out transparently, with full documentation of the process.

Regarding media censorship, the government official remarked, “If the Supreme Court is expected to take notice of media censorship, the opposition can file a petition in the court tomorrow.”

Opposition’s Demands

The opposition had earlier presented a series of demands, including a call for the government to address “mandate theft” by returning the mandate in cash. However, the government criticized the opposition for failing to provide any substantive discussion or documentation on this issue during the press conference.

The opposition also called for the formation of two judicial commissions, headed by the Chief Justice or three senior-most judges, to investigate certain specific matters. However, these demands were met with skepticism by the government, which questioned their validity.

Read More: Rana Sanaullah Supports Dialogue and Calls for PTI’s Written Demands

Government’s Critique on Casualty Claims

Rana Sanaullah further criticized the opposition for failing to substantiate claims of casualties during incidents from November 24-27. “If there were casualties, details should have been presented in today’s demands,” he said, pointing out that the opposition had not provided lists of those injured or missing, as they had promised.

Ongoing Legal Proceedings

Legal proceedings related to arrests and allegations of censorship are currently underway in anti-terrorism and military courts. A judicial review of the arrest of a party founder on May 9 has already been conducted, with some verdicts issued by military courts. The Supreme Court is also hearing a suo motu petition concerning these matters, which questions whether the opposition’s demands warrant the formation of a new judicial commission.

Media Censorship Allegations

The opposition had called for a review of alleged media censorship, but the government rejected these claims, asserting that the Supreme Court should address such issues within the existing legal frameworks. Rana Sanaullah dismissed the opposition’s accusations as “lies and propaganda,” reiterating that the government had demanded transparency and evidence from the opposition, which had not been provided.

As the legal and political battle continues, the government’s response underscores its commitment to handling these issues within the judicial process, while challenging the opposition’s unsubstantiated claims.