Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has ordered his party to observe December 15 as “Martyrs’ Day” to honor the sacrifices of party workers who died in the May 9 and November 26 demonstrations.
The jailed PTI founder has called for a judicial inquiry into the May 9 and November 26 incidents, saying PTI workers were killed by law enforcement agencies.
After a meeting with her brother in jail on Tuesday, Imran’s sister Aleema Khanum spoke to the media and said that Imran had demanded an inquiry into the May 9 incident but now followed the call for an inquiry on November 26. He said the PTI founder had proposed setting up a joint inquiry team of three senior Supreme Court judges to conduct an impartial inquiry into the deaths of party workers during peaceful protests.
Imran ordered a party to commemorate Martyrs’ Day on December 15, when workers across Pakistan, including Peshawar, are expected to pray for the deceased. Aleema told her brother, “A system of distrust can exist, but it cannot be a system based on violence. We will not accept such a system.”
Imran expressed concern over the death of party workers during a peaceful demonstration in Islamabad. It said 16 PTI supporters were killed on May 9 and many more died during demonstrations on November 26. Khan also alleged that the authorities were trying to hide the casualties and injuries sustained by PTI workers.
The former prime minister said access to CCTV footage was necessary to ensure a fair and transparent investigation and rejected witness accounts given by police officers as credible. They also demanded the dismissal of “stale FIRs” against PTI workers and leaders, many of whom are in illegal detention. Aleema said her brother was worried about the plight of missing PTI workers, especially those who participated in the November 24 demonstration in Islamabad. He said Imran Khan was not aware of the situation in the federal capital because he was in solitary confinement and the authorities restricted access to newspapers and television.
Imran called on Pakistanis living abroad to protest if the government does not meet their demands. He called for a freeze on remittances to Pakistan and said that although the family may endure short-term hardships, sacrifices must be made to achieve the country’s independence. “They harass your family and threaten to block your passport or arrest you when you return,” Aleema said.
