PTI body to work on withdrawing cases filed against members

PTI secretary general Asad Umar on Wednesday announced that his party has formed an "Anti Victimisation and Accountability Committee" to get criminal cases filed against party members following the "Azadi March" on May 25 withdrawn and identify officials who "tortured" protesters for legal proceedings.

"No one should think that we have forgotten May 25. Neither have we forgotten it nor will we let anyone forget it," he said on Twitter.

Former prime minister Imran Khan's march for haqeeqi azadi — true freedom — was preceded by the authorities invoking Section 144, a measure used to curb gatherings. Shipping containers were put in place on major thoroughfares to block their path.

A night before the march, police raids were reported on PTI leaders' residences. On the day of the march, party supporters and workers in Punjab met the worst form of atrocities.

In one such incident, ex-minister Hammad Azhar suffered injuries after tear gas was fired at him. On the other hand, the windshield of former provincial health minister Yasmin Rashid's car was smashed.

Separately, after the protest ended at the D-Chowk, an avalanche of cases was registered against Imran and other PTI leaders such as Rashid, Fawad Chaudhry, Azhar, Imran Ismail, Shibli Faraz, and others.

In a tweet today, Umar said that the party had constituted a committee that would oversee all the first information reports (FIRs) and "identify the fake cases".

It would be headed by former education minister Shafqat Mahmood and comprise PTI leaders Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Yasmin Rashid, Aon Abbas Buppi, and Raja Basharat.

Umar outlined that the purpose of the committee would be to collect all fake cases registered against PTI members in Punjab and take legal steps to get them withdrawn.

Furthermore, it would "identify officials responsible for illegal and criminal action" against party members and initiate legal proceedings against them.

The development comes after the party had a sweeping victory in the crucial Punjab by-elections after winning 15 out of 20 seats in the province.