Party rejects FIR, laments omission of terror charge
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demanded on Wednesday the formation of a judicial commission to probe the attack on the party’s Central Information Secretary Rauf Hassan.
A day earlier, the PTI leader was attacked by a group of trans persons in the federal capital. He was struck in the face with a blade.
Following the attack, the perpetrators managed to flee the scene with ease. The PTI leader was transferred to a hospital for medical treatment. He was later discharged from the hospital.
Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub, accompanied by other prominent PTI leaders, including Azam Swati, Shaukat Basra, and Khalid Khurshid, addressed the media and condemned the attack on Hasan and called for immediate action to ensure the security and safety of party members.
Recalling the events of Tuesday, Ayub said the incident took place around 5:15 pm when he was leaving the office of a private TV channel. “He [Hasan] was subjected to a murderous attack, and this is not the first time.”
The opposition leader said the earlier incident should also been reported and added that the attackers used a sharp weapon to assault Hasan, inflicting ‘severe injuries’ on one side of the body.
“Fortunately, Rauf Hassan survived this life-threatening attack,” Ayub said and added that the party refuses to accept the first information report (FIR) lodged by Islamabad Police.
He further claimed that “deliberate attempts to undermine the integrity of the case” are being made and the case itself is being influenced by “external parties”.
The party leader lamented that the FIR “intentionally” omits the charge of terrorism, despite the incident being an “act of terror”.
Hasan, elaborating upon the incident, said the attackers abused and threatened him while he was being attacked.
He added that the attackers kept saying “We are after you”.
“Since the ouster of Imran Khan’s government, PTI has been the target of injustice after injustice.” The party’s information secretary said the current situation resembles “a dictatorship under the facade of democracy”.
“The voice of the people and the media has been silenced over the past two years,” said Hassan.
Following the attack yesterday, Hasan was transferred to a hospital for medical treatment. Later in the day, he was discharged.
The incident was raised in the Senate by PTI Senator Shibli Faraz, who informed the upper house during a session, calling the incident “unacceptable.”
