The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the First Information Report (FIR) registered by Islamabad police regarding the attack on the party’s central information secretary, Raoof Hasan. The attack occurred outside a news channel’s office on Tuesday.
Details of the incident
Following the incident, Islamabad police issued a statement indicating that Hasan had his face slashed with a blade. Eyewitnesses reportedly identified a group of transgender individuals as the assailants. Hasan was assaulted as he exited the TV channel’s office after a programme appearance. He was promptly taken to the hospital, where police also arrived to obtain a medico-legal certificate.
PTI’s response
During a press conference in Islamabad, PTI leader Omar Ayub accused the police of tampering with the FIR, claiming it did not reflect Hasan’s original complaint. Ayub called for a judicial commission to investigate the incident thoroughly.
“The statement given by Raoof Hasan mentions with clarity the events that occurred,” Ayub stated. “We categorically reject and condemn the subsequent FIR lodged by Islamabad police. It is an attempt to tamper with the case by the police. We demand to know who pressured Islamabad police to write and register that FIR, which does not mention the word terrorism at all. This assassination attempt was clearly an act of terrorism. The FIR has been altered to tamper with the investigation of this case.”
Ayub referenced allegations of interference in judicial affairs by security agencies, as noted in a letter from six Islamabad High Court judges to the Supreme Judicial Council in March. He implied similar interference might have occurred in Hasan’s case.
“Given the current state of affairs, this matter should be investigated by a judicial commission and swift justice should be delivered to Raoof Hasan,” Ayub urged.
Hasan’s statement and PTI’s stand
Raoof Hasan suggested that the attack was part of a broader crackdown on PTI and its leadership. “What our party has endured in the past two years is not hidden. The media’s voice, along with our party’s, has also been muzzled,” Hasan stated. “Since Imran Khan was ousted, the state has used all kinds of force and unleashed cruelty on PTI and its workers — a parallel of which cannot be found in the South Asian region.”
Hasan criticised a particular authority figure, without naming them, accusing them of acting as a dictator. “Behind the smokescreen of democracy, there is a dictatorship in this state. For the past two years, they have pushed the public to accept this dictatorship.”
Government’s response
In a separate address to the Senate, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar shared details of the incident, confirming that an FIR had been registered and efforts were underway to apprehend the culprits. He mentioned that a special team was constituted to investigate the incident, and footage and pictures of the attack were sent to forensic labs and Nadra for examination.
Tarar expressed sorrow over the incident, stating, “The seriousness of the government on the incident should not be questioned.” He emphasised the government’s commitment to protecting citizens’ lives and properties.
