Entire leadership of ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s party involved in May 9 riots, says newly formed IPP’s president

Islamabad [Pakistan], January 23 (ANI): Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) President Abdul Aleem Khan emphasised that the entire Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership was involved in the May 9 incidents, as reported by ARY News.

In an interview with ANI, IPP president Aleem Khan said that the PTI has no active members who could become the party chairman, adding that if PTI wanted to give the party chairmanship to a lawyer, Hamid Khan was a better option.

However, he welcomed Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in Punjab, stating that the PPP rally in Lahore was impressive.

Highlighting the claims that people were paid to participate in the rally, Khan said that voters in such large numbers cannot be paid for their participation in the party’s public gathering, ARY News reported.

Earlier, he also confirmed that he wanted to become the chief minister of Punjab.

“Yes, it’s true that I wanted to become chief minister of Punjab,” he said adding that that he wanted to become Chief Minster on merit and there was “no harm in it.”

The IPP leader lashed out at former CM Punjab Usman Buzdar, claiming to have informed PTI founder Imran Khan about Buzdar’s alleged corruption. However, instead of addressing the concerns, Aleem Khan faced arrest through NAB, reported Dawn.

Recently, Pakistan’s former interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief, Sheikh Rasheed, was arrested in connection with the May 9 riots cases on Tuesday.

According to the report, the former minister appeared before the ATC for confirmation of bail in 14 cases registered against him in the May 9 riots.

Earlier this month, a cabinet committee was established by the Pakistan federal government on Saturday to look into the May 9 riots, when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters vandalised private and public property after Imran Khan was arrested, according to ARY News.

The notification has stated that the convening committee would be the acting federal minister of law and justice.

The committee’s terms of reference (TORs) underline that it must investigate the circumstances leading up to the incidents on May 9, 2023, to identify and determine the role of the mastermind, planners, facilitators, and executors, according to ARY News.

The committee will examine the reasons behind these occurrences and assign blame. It will assess both the short- and long-term effects.

Following the arrest of the former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, violent riots broke out throughout Pakistan.

Due to the party workers’ agitation over their chairman’s arrest, protests were staged in both major and distant cities. Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoned the armed forces to maintain peace and order.

Workers from PTI had attacked Army posts, including the Corps Commander’s residence in Lahore, during the rallies.