Obituary of The Boy Killed at Police Station in Pakistan

August 29, 2017

By Saeed Qureshi

A few days ago, while watching television, all of sudden a snapshot appeared on the screen. It was a clip of video showing a boy lying with face downwards on the ground. It was the scene of a police station. The boy should be of 15-18 years of age. He was wearing a white pent and a reddish stripped shirt.  Two policemen were also present in that room.

One of the police man was sitting towards the face of the boy.  He was firmly holding his two arms. The other was sitting behind him. The policeman sitting behind him had a big leather slipper(shoe) in his hand. He was constantly hitting the boy’s buttocks. The boy was unable to move because his protruded hands were firmly gripped by the police man sitting in front of him. The boy seemed utterly helpless and in extreme agony.

The boy was perhaps rounded up in a public gathering and was brought to the police station for punishment. He might be one of the protesters and might be shouting like anyone else. Physically he looked so tender and skinny that he couldn’t have hit or harmed anyone in the crowd.

It seems that he was an easy catch by the sturdy and physically powerful persons dressed in the police uniforms. He was constantly being bludgeoned on his back. Since he was gripped by the arms he could not even move although pain caused by lashes must be unbearable. It was like of a sparrow clutched and torn off by hawks ruthlessly.

Ever since I have seen that horrifying footage I have been in a state of shock. I have tried to get some more details about this heart wrenching incident. I tried to see the newspapers and watch TV for a few days but there were not more details available in any outlet. Later I came to know that he died as a result of that merciless beating by the policemen.

A glimpse of his family members and parents was partially shown during his funeral. They were weeping and seemed to be in a state of utter shock and agony. The news and TV footage was later discontinued on the Television and other media outlets. It looks the police had prevailed on both print and electronic media to not pursue the case and publicize it further.

While I have been myself passing through an agonizing state of mind I am not aware if the culprit policemen were caught or the governor or the chief justice or the inspector general police force took any cognizance of this extreme brutality and rather murder. One could see utter helplessness on the face of that tender, slim and well-dressed teenage boy. He was not aware that these rascals would inflict so much of torture on him that he would not survive.

This kind of brutality and physical punishment is a norm in every police station in Pakistan. No one from among the lower and poor sections of society can pick up the courage to ask for justice and pursue the case in a court of law for two reasons. One is poverty and the other is the fear that they may also be caught and treated in the same brutal manner. Moreover, due to the lack of resources and knowledge of the court proceedings they cannot seek justice and thus such inhuman and savage treatment of the police on their innocent and not innocent captives goes on. The people, even otherwise, are psychologically afraid of the police and seeking redress of the grievous incidents like this boy remains a far cry. 

Let me, in the hindsight, remind my readers about two gruesome and similar diabolical incidents that happened in Pakistan in the past. One was at Lahore in which one mad murderer killed about 100 children by suffocating them with poisonous gas. That killing spree continued for a long period of time. This most diabolic mass murder of innocent boys is perhaps the first in the criminal history of human beings. He couldn’t be caught by the police and ultimately, he himself surrendered at the office of Dailies “The News” and “Jang" in Rawalpindi. He was not hanged. He and his accomplices died in jail.

The second grisly incident happened in the city of Sialkot. In that incident two young brothers were killed by a group the powerful local mafia in broad day light and in collusion with the police. One can remember in the hindsight how the crowd was watching silently and with folded hands the lethal beating by the murderers on those two defenseless and surrounded boys. No one intervened to save those boys. The policemen were also part of that lynching scene of the youths of the Islamic republic of Pakistan. and watched those boys being killed by batons, kicks and sharp weapons.  

Those people should still be living who watched those murders. No one intervened to save them. It looked as if the villains and non-Muslims were being killed by a frenzy crowd of fanatic Muslims and ruthless religious practitioners offering five prayers a day and soliciting the mercy of God for themselves. 

Such is the horrific life in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan where human life has no importance either for law, courts, judges, government functionaries, the religious zealots, the police force and even the people. We cannot categories such a society as inhabited by good Muslims, God fearing and merciful people. Instead they are worst hypocrites, superficially preaching Islamic virtues and norms of justice. This opinion is borne out by the indifference exhibited by the utterly callous onlookers of that one of the most heinous murders happening before their eyes. It is understood that after having seen those helpless boys killed in board day light by the ruffians, most of them must have headed to the mosques to say their prayers. What a rank hypocritical religious fervor!

No one is aware when law and order and concerned agencies would have heart and stop the highhandedness of the powerful classes and individuals against the poor, weak and defenseless citizens of the society. The rape and abduction of the young girls by the rich and dominant feudal lords and thugs have been variously reported. But the state doesn’t move and seems to be helpless in face of rich and resourceful sections of the society because both are chips of the same block.  

The religious scholars and custodians of the faith seem to be utterly detached and different to such rampant lawlessness and brazen crimes which in fact should be their foremost responsibility and priority to attend.  They are trying to make good Muslims through their foggy sermons and fighting sectarian feuds but cannot see such frightening incidents that destroy the peace of the society and cut across the pristine elements of faith that Islam ordains. One such element is to protect the vulnerable, ensure justice and punish the evildoers and law breakers.

The rulers and all those in power in politics or business come from the privileged and elite classes. They have manpower and money at their disposal to break law and get away with that. They take revenge and no one touch them.

The feudal lords rule over their serfs, tenets, farm labor and tillers working on the lands for ages like slaves. They give them a fraction their farm harvest just to sustain. They kill them if someone tries to run away. These people have been serving them on their lands since the colonial rule in the sub-continent.

When the common man and people keep suffering from innumerable issues ranging from poverty, denial of justice and social drawbacks and deformities. The rich and wealthy gloat over other miseries of less equals and the have-nots. They possess the political power, tons of money and clout to beat, kill, maim and kidnap anyone.

Was this the Pakistan that the founder of Pakistan Quaid -e- Azam and other torch bearers of the independence visualized. Quaid-e-Azam must be turning in his grave of what is happening in a Pakistan which was created in the name of religion and decent society.

Let us Look around and we shall realize that we have tuned barbarian, thugs. There is a rampant and deep divide between rich and poor, resourceful and resource-less, privileged and unprivileged, the powerful killers and their helpless victims.

Pakistan is in dire need of a French Revolution (1789-1799). It was a colossal revolution brought about by the peasants, laboring class and deprived sections of the society. A new France emerged after a prolonged phase of civil war, autocracy and dictatorship. “The Revolution resulted in the suppression of the feudal system, the emancipation of the individual, the greater division of landed property, the abolition of the privileges of noble birth, enjoyed by the clergy and the aristocracy and the establishment of equality.” Thousands of people died in that revolution. Radical social change based on liberalism and Enlightenment principles were brought about. The then the king of France f Louis XVI was guillotined (public execution) in 1793.

President Trump’s Statement about Pakistan is Unrealistic

August 26, 2017

By Saeed Qureshi

If the relations between USA and Pakistan take a downturn, then this time it would be America which will be more at disadvantage than Pakistan.  It should be understood that President Trumps’ threat to Pakistan and denunciation for harboring terrorism is not only unrealistic but a blessing in disguise for Pakistan. In that situation Pakistan would be free to form a regional alliance with Russia, China, Iran and other friendly countries in the region which would be much more useful than what it has been maintaining with the USA all these years.

Pakistan is one state which helped America in fighting Taliban and Al-Qaida in Afghanistan for 15 years (2001-2016). If America reignites the same war now against the ISIS and some Taliban factions then it will have to fight that war alone. It will have to use the territory of the Central Asian states for transportation of army and military hardware which Russia is not going to allow.

Is president Trump oblivious of the resounding fact that but for Pakistan’s support USA could have been squarely defeated and indeed humiliated in Afghanistan. Is he aware that since the inception of the first civil war (1979-1989) in Afghanistan against Soviet Union, Pakistan is hosting four million refugees whose children have now also grown up and well settled in Pakistan? As a result, Pakistan immensely suffered economically and regionally due to the

military alliance with USA. Of late, it was with the help of Pakistan that the Navy Seals were able to reach Osama Bin Laden and kill him. 

It should be understood that the American sponsored war in Afghanistan (2001-2017) is different from the Mujahideen’s war against the Soviet Union which lasted from December 1979 to February 1989. In the first war the Insurgent groups known as the Mujahideen fought against the Soviet Army  and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. In that bloody war  around 562,000 to 2,000,000 civilians were killed and millions of Afghans fled the country as refugees mostly to Pakistan and Iran. Ever since Pakistan is hosting millions of Afghan refugees. The children of those Afghan refugees are now settled in Pakistan.

President Trump should understand that now is not the time which was there three decades ago. In that Pakistan was coerced to join the American military onslaught in Afghanistan to annihilate Taliban as well as root out Russian influence in that country. Later Russia again intervened in that war in 2007.

China and Russia, Saudi Arabia and several other countries have negated Trump’ s characterization of Pakistan harboring terrorist. They have eulogized Pakistan and acknowledged that Pakistan’s role and sacrifices in Afghanistan were colossal. Any effort to sideline Pakistan and bring it under pressure and branding it as a state sponsoring terrorism is negation of facts and history. Such an attitude towards Pakistan would boomerang against USA and might result in further chaos in Afghanistan.  As already stated This time isolating Pakistan internationally and reigniting war in Afghanistan would not be favorable to the United States.

The uncalled-for anti-Pakistan statement and threat by president Trump perhaps has two motives. One is to detract the American people from his domestic failures and his diminishing image.  He is reviving the Bush era adventurism and thus trying to win the support of the pro-war Americans. It is a sordid attempt of finding scape-goats by raising war cries and using tough language against an all-time friendly country Pakistan.

It is also possible that anti- Pakistan rhetoric of Trump is aimed at bolstering and pleasing India which is the irreconcilable foe of Pakistan. It is a known fact that President Trump has Indian business partners and they remain in contact with him. Trump has showered praise and plaudits on India which ostensibly is to belittle Pakistan.

Yet India cannot help USA to wage another war in Afghanistan and prevail. The driving reason is that India doesn’t have direct territorial contacts or routes with Afghanistan like Pakistan or Iran have. As such any alliance or understanding between India and America for war efforts against Taliban, ISIS or ISIL is not going to materialize.

For the first time, the Pakistan government and both the houses of the parliament (Senate and National Assembly) have taken a right and courageous stand in response to Trump’s denunciation of Pakistan and issuing of warnings. They have rejected the insinuation of president Trump and pledged not to be browbeaten by the American president’s false alarm bells.

USA wants to enter Afghanistan again and fight which the American president and defense secretary claim to win and prevail.  It should be understood that America cannot succeed in driving Taliban, ISIS and other religious warriors out of Afghanistan without logistic and other support from Pakistan.  Losing Pakistan’s friendship would be more counterproductive for USA as she would lose a trusted ally and friend which brought victory to America in Afghanistan. In that situation, Pakistan will not allow a hostile America to use her territory in order to enter Afghanistan.

Iran also, for obvious reasons, wouldn’t place her routes and land at the disposal of the American army to enter Afghanistan and restart a war against their perceived enemy. Besides America will have to open its financial coffers once again which might cause an adverse economic backlash in USA.

Let us remember that such threats have been issued by president Trump earlier against North Korea by using the slang of “Fire and Fury” which means bombing North Korean and destroying her missile installations.  The retort from North Korean president Kim Jong Un was more sarcastic and defying in which he ignored president Trump’s ultimatum and utterances by describing those as a ‘load of nonsense’. Even thereafter, North Korea tested missile, one of which has the capacity to reach American mainland. Guam Island being used as a military base by USA is just within the reach of North Korean range of missiles.

All said and done, this statement about Pakistan being a sponsor of terrorism and host to militants could be another stray outpouring of President Trump. He is in the habit of issuing tough and thoughtless ultimatums and statements but later leaves those in lurch. His announcement to exit from the G-20, erecting a wall between America and Mexico and showering fire and fury on North Korea are meaningless and counterproductive in fostering the American goodwill abroad.

President Trump has been at loggerheads with the American press, the immigrants, the minority communities and all those who somehow oppose him politically from the Republican or the Democratic Party. It should be instructive for Trump to be sober, less reactive and instead be diplomatic than being ready to throw punches at friend and foes.

Keeping in view his mercurial temperament, knee jerk reaction, unguarded statements and unpredictable behavior, the Senate majority leader Mitch MacDonnell in a private conversation, has said that he was doubtful if president Trump could retain his presidency.

The Culture of Dirty Politics in Pakistan

August 16, 2017

By Saeed Qureshi

These days there are cattle bazaars set up all over Pakistan. In these bazaars people sell and buy the animals for sacrifice to commemorate the religious festival of Eid-ul-Azha on September 6 this year. The compounds, bazars, roads and the open fields are the venues for animal trading and are replete with filth and stench all over. This stench would further pervade all over Pakistan on September 6 and it would take a long time to clear the streets etc. from the offal, bones, and other unusable parts of the bodies of the sacrificed animals. The skins are sold in the markets.

This tradition began from Saudi Arabia and now it is a part of the religious obligations all over the Islamic world. It is a rerun or the tradition of prophet Abraham (1900 B.C.) who agreed to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail (for Jews it is Ishaq) on the command of God as a test of his level of obedience to God. The tradition says that he tried to sacrifice his son but God sent two rams instead.  This tradition was adopted by Jews first and followed by the Muslims after the advent of Islam.

Another Biblical version narrates that he took away his other wife Hajira and his son Ismael at the behest of his first wife Sara to a far-off place. Sara ‘s own son Ishaq was 14 years younger than Ismael. Sara turned hostile to both Hajira and Ismail after the birth of her own son Ishaq. Here is the contradiction that primarily it was not the command of God to sacrifice Ismail but to obey the order of his wife Sara to take Ismael and his mother Hajira away from her eyes as Ismael was mocking Sara and his step brother Ishaq.  

Besides this temporary phase of sacrifice of the animals causing a great deal of stench, health hazards and atmospheric stench, we can witness the political dirt and pollution caused by the political lot in Pakistan. The culture and penchant of foul mouthing, name calling, abuse and accusations between the rival parties and politicians is prevalent like an epidemic.

There are politicians who are active in derailing the democratic order by using the state institutions. The latest example is the removal of Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister of Pakistan by the supreme court. This is a handy and the easiest way to remove a president or the elected prime minister from his office.

Instead of conveying their parties’ manifestos and programs in a civilized manner, the combatant politicians treat each other as the enemies and use abusive and degrading jargon against each other. The PMNL president and prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif has been the target of ridicule, cheap remarks and even abusive language by his worst political adversaries namely PTI chairman Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid the president of the political party “Awami Muslim League”. 

Traditionally, every government in Pakistan has been painted by the opposition as incompetent and the enemy of the people and the country. The opposition leaders invariably claim that when they will come in power they will turn the country into a paradise and all the problems and the issues bedeviling the lives of the people would evaporate.

This pattern of political culture has been going on in Pakistan ever since it came into being in 1947. In the meantime, Pakistan was dismembered in 1971. The eastern wing of the former Pakistan separated due to the grave follies of politicians including ZA Bhutto, some army generals and the then president General Yahya Khan. To understand how foolishly and callously Pakistan was dismembered and the defeat of the armed forces of Pakistan was facilitated, one should read the insightful book, “Memories and Reflections” written by the then Pakistan’s foreign secretary and ambassador Sultan Muhammad Khan who had been an eyewitness of what happened during those tumultuous times.

Pakistan in the present situation, has passed through many ups and downs including the martial Law phases of General Ziaul Haq and General Musharraf. Those martial laws were the natural or forcible outcome of the bizarre political atmosphere created by the ruling parties and the politicians in the government and outside. But perhaps no lessons have been learnt or imbibed by our army of politicians. There has always been a bizarre and degrading tussle going on between the parties in power and those in the opposition with character assassinations and name calling.  

There had been a relatively peaceful and stable tenure during the presidency of Asif Ali Zardari (November 2008 to November 2013). Despite his many drawbacks and penchant for making money and allegation of financial corruption, he kept the democratic order intact. The credit goes to him for allocating more powers to the provinces.

But what is happening now seems to be a political war between Mian Nawaz Sharif and his family on one side and their main opponents namely Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid on the other.  Extremely sleazy epithets, dirty slogans and derogatory remarks are used against Sharif family by both Imran Khan, Sheikh Rashid and their party cohorts in their speeches and day to day comments.

Sheikh Rashid is adept in hurling highly caustic and offensive invective against the Sharif family. While it would be acceptable for the nice and civilized political campaigning to win the popular support for paving way for the next general elections yet such a nasty behavior is to impel the army to step in and remove the government in power. That can happen if the political temperature is heightened by an equally filthy rebuttal and tit-for-tat response by the people in power.

The politicians like Sheikh Rashid and Imran Khan otherwise pygmy politicians, are busy in settling their personal scores with the PMNL in general and Sharif family in particular through non-political avenues. The apex court has not been fair or impartial in handing out verdict against prime minister Nawaz Sharif and order his removal on flimsy grounds while such accusations were not fully established or conclusively proven

Even after his removal the vicious tongue-lashing and vitriolic outbursts against him and his family have not been abandoned by the PTI shenanigans joined by Sheikh Rashid and doctor Tahirul Qadri the head of “Pakistan Awami Tehrik”. Dr. Qadri is a Canadian citizen and has no political role to play in Pakistan. How can he bring about a grand revolution based upon the religious basis when he spends his 11 months in the salubrious and comfortable society of Toronto?

Sheikh Rashid nurses personal grudge against Nawaz Sharif because of his close association with former president General Pervez Musharraf in whose government he remained as the minister for five years (November 2002 to November 2007). His opposition to Nawaz Sharif is not based on principals but on the grounds that Nawaz Sharif and General Musharraf have been rigid opponents of each other.

In October 1998, the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif elevated Musharraf to a four-star general status and made him the chief of the Armed Forces. The discord developed between Sharif and Musharraf was due to the Kargil war initiated by Musharraf in October 1998 without the knowledge of prime minister Nawaz Sharif.  That war led to an extremely serious situation between India and Pakistan. Sharif was unsuccessful in removing Musharraf and in retaliation through a coup, Musharraf took over the power and put Sharif in jail.

Nawaz Sharif has been a great admirer of Imran Khan as a top cricketer who as a captain and cricketer led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. It is yet to be figured out how Imran Khan turned a diehard opponent of Nawaz Sharif. But it is being guessed that he wants to halt the CPEC( China Pakistan Economic Corridor) project at the behest of some foreign powers that don’t want Pakistan to prosper and attain the status of a developed country with the help of China.

As far corruption of Nawaz Sharif, the main question is “who is not corrupt in Pakistan”. If Imran Khan is bent upon weeding out corruption then the crusade or campaign against corruption should be waged on the country level and not solely against the Sharif family.

The popular support and approval for both Sheikh Rashid and Imran Khan is insignificant. In the recent by-elections in Azad Kashmir and for filling vacant seats in Pakistan, Imran Khan’s PTI and Sheikh Rashid’s “Awami Muslim League” miserably failed to capture any seats.

 As far Allama Tahirul Qadri, he comes once in a while to fish in the troubled waters and cannot attain power or nationwide popularity or acceptance for all time to come. He seems to be a spoiler and that is why is bracketed with Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid  who both lacks vision and peoples’ support. A part time religious zealot is unfit to be a political leader or get the peoples’ goodwill.

I would urge the guys like Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid, jamaat-e- Islami and also Allam Qadri not to resort to street agitations and instead hold on to democratic tradition by contesting the next general elections to be held in June 2008 and try their luck through political means. If they cannot attain power through the political mandate then at least they should allow others who rule through popular mandate to stay till the maturity of their assigned period.

Otherwise it is going go to be a rerun of the past when the weak and unpopular politicians and political rabble rousers attempted to remove the incumbent governments through street agitations.  Those uncalled for and apolitical attempts  invariably culminated in military dictatorships.

It is also necessary for the politicians not to be abusive and hurl personal attacks and throw filthy allegations on their opponents as both Imran Khan and Sheikh Rashid are doing. It is not only indecent ethically, politically and religiously but make them look uncultured, vulgar and foul mouthing hooligans.

Good or bad, let incumbent PMLN dispensation complete its mandate of five years. As already stated, instead of using the shortcut of moving courts against political opponents, the political opposition should wait for the next general elections due in June 2018. It would set a healthy tradition of continuation of the democratic order which is in place even after the departure of PPP government under president Asif Ali Zardari in September 2013. The general elections are not far and are scheduled to be held in Pakistan any time within 90 days after 5 June 2018.

Imran Khan Needs to Come Clean out of This Mess

August 5,2017

By Saeed Qureshi

Imran Khan the Chairman of the political party “Pakistan Tehrik Insaf” (PTI) needs to urgently refurbish his image that seems to have been tarnished as a result of the allegations of sexual misconduct or exploitation by one of his erstwhile party member Aisha Gulalai from South Waziristan.

Irrespective of the aspect as to who is right and who is not, it is important that the competent authorities should find the fact and probe these allegations leveled by Aisha Gulalai an MNA and formerly a prominent member of PTI. Gulalai became disgruntled for not allowed to speak in a public gathering as well being denied the party ticket to contest for NA 1 seat of the National Assembly.

She alleged that Imran Khan, the founder and president of the Pakistan Tehrik-e- Insaf had been making indecent advances towards her by way of sending lewd and unethical text messages. Besides he was urging here to meet him privately and alone, not even in the company of his family members.

When asked as to why she failed to report the alleged sexual harassment by Imran Khan earlier as per her claim, she started receiving "inappropriate messages" since 2013; Ayesha Gulalai conceded that “she only managed to summon the courage to spill the beans now”.

Gulalai showed some of the text messages to Hamid Meer, a famous journalist and the Geo News Anchor who tacitly confirmed that the nature and tenor of the message seem to be unethical and therefore merits an inquiry.

Gulalai claimed that these foul messages were sent to him over a period of four years and she kept these under the curtain for their being highly sleazy and for not picking up courage to make these public. She is now ready to show these messages to the appropriate authorities which can be a court of law.

Imran and his party colleagues claim that Gulalai has launched this defamation onslaught at the behest of his arch political rival Nawaz Sharif and his other party members. Notwithstanding Imran’s claim of his defamation by his political rivals, the case itself is of such a nature that this must be taken into consideration by the relevant courts as Suo moto or else if could be filed by Aisha Gulalai herself. Gulalai seems to be determined to go to any forum to prove herself right and also show the text messages whose number runs into several scores and were sent over a period of four years.  

Meanwhile, the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah said that the nature of the allegations of MNA Ayesha Gulalai were very serious and need thorough investigation. Jamaat-i-Islami has also demanded a judicial inquiry and praised the courage of Madam Gulalai. JI leaders even invited her to join their party.

Senior politicians of mainstream political parties of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa demanded a high-level investigation into the allegations leveled by MNA Ayesha Gulalai against her party Chief Imran Khan. PTI, in the meantime, has approached the relevant authority to abolish her membership of the National Assembly.

We have been reading in the past about Imran Khan and his free life style like a Casanova in England as well in Pakistan. There are quite a few stories about the kind of his life spent in England. But that was not objectionable as it was commensurate with the culture of that country.  Also, we have been hearing about his life pattern in Pakistan which seems to be full of sound and fury that a single or a divorced young man would prefer. He has divorced her two wives: one from England and the other from Pakistan. 

There are stories about his association with Salahuddin the founder and host of Havely, a venue for literary, poetic, musical and occasional fun filled parties. This is the age of Facebook and U-tube. As such everyone is sitting in a glasshouse and therefore the private and social life cannot remain hidden. 

As long as having a normal friendship and a possible offer of marriage with Aisha Gulalai who was also a bachelor was in order. But the aspect of sending or trading filthy, sexy or sex-tinged messages all the more to a female party member is certainly below the dignity of even a common person; all the more by a politician of high caliber.  

Inviting Gulalai to meet him alone and not with her family members is a dimension that makes one to raise eyebrows and impel pondering as to what could be its purpose. However, if the case is referred to a court of law, to an arbitrator, or any other competent authority then the people might be able to know about the nature of the messages and the real intentions behind those.

It is hoped that in the meantime, Imran Khan may not delete the sent messages from his blackberry cell phone. Even if he does then his challenger Madam Gulalai claims to have the messages in her iPhone(blackberry) to prove her claim of moral indecency by her former party chief Imran Khan.

In the meantime, the female members of the PTI have rallied around their leader. They have condemned Aisha Gulalai for hurling very serious and highly indecent charges and heaping a plethora of immoral offences on a popular political figure of Pakistan.

Concurrently, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has served a legal notice on Ayesha Gulalai. The notice sent by PTI central media coordinator Javed Badar demanded Ayesha Gulalai to provide evidence to support her allegations against the PTI chief within 10 days or seek apology.

In the meantime, Imran Khan has directed his party leaders and supporters not to target Gulalai’s sister.  Gulalai however, has claimed that she is being threatened by PTI supporters. She added that if any harm comes to her or to her family, she will hold Imran Khan responsible for it. In an interview Imran Khan alleged that Ayesha Gulalai was used by the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz to trap and defame him.

Gulalai also denied allegations of corruption leveled against her by her former assistants Noor Zaman and Mujahid Khattak who accused her of corruption in road construction and other projects. Gulalai said that these individuals were never her political assistants. Gulalai’s father has characterized Noor Khan as a person of criminal intent and nature.

Ayesha Gulalai is highly educated and belonged to a famous and respected Wazir Tribe.