PESHAWAR: Saturday’s action against PTI marchers by the Punjab police, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur declared that only a “revolution” could now be a solution to the “state atrocities”.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, however, defended the government’s response to the PTI’s protest, saying Mr Gandapur had made his intention clear to create a May 9-like chaos by announcing his plans to march on Islamabad and Punjab by force.
CM Gandapur, who is also the provincial president of PTI, issued a video message in which he warned the law enforcement institutions that “those who fire one bullet on the PTI activists, will receive 10 bullets in response”.
“Today, I formally announce revolution as we have no other solution,” he said in the message addressed to the state institutions and federal government. “Enough is enough,” he said, adding that they had shown restraint after the sanctity of their homes.
The chief minister released the message after a procession led by him was not allowed to participate in the PTI rally in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
The Punjab police fired countless number of tear gas shells and bullets when the PTI workers entered Punjab through the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway, the CM claimed, adding that two PTI workers received bullets wounds while 50 others suffered injuries due to teargas shelling.
“In future, [if] someone fires bullets on us, in retaliation they will also receive bullets. If you fire one bullet, then we will fire 10 bullets in response,” he warned.
Similarly, he added, they will also give response in the same manner if you fired teargas and used batons on the PTI workers.
“People of KP listen; all the tribal people of erstwhile Fata are supporters of PTI. Go and hold jirgas in the tribal regions and get united,” he said. He said his message was not a threat, rather it’s a warning for them to reform. The CM also called for political decisions to be made by politicians and nobody else.