Lahore:
On the eve of the former Prime Minister Imran Khan, having finished two years in prison, Pakistan Tehreek-e-insaf (PTI) issued a “white paper” alleging systematic political victimization, legal manipulation and human rights violations.
The press release was before the planned demonstrations of PTI on Tuesday.
Addressing the media, the head of the PTI Punjab media cell, Shayan Bashir, said: “The appeal of protest for August 5 is intended for peaceful demonstrations, but our houses are being attacked, our privacy raped. In Lahore only, more than 200 raids have taken place in the past two days.”
He alleged that the authorities used coercive tactics, including arbitrary detentions, extortion and forced affidavits. “They pick up people, take bribes or make them sign affidavits before freeing them,” he said.
The 13 -page document, extending in August 2023 to the current month, documents what PTI characterizes as a relentless repression campaign.
He quotes at least 186 criminal cases deposited against Khan, secret trial in prison premises, and what he calls the abusive use of anti-terrorist laws to suffocate dissent. He also alleged interference during the general elections of February 2024.
The PTI allegedly alleged that Khan’s conditions of detention were equivalent to inhuman treatment.
