In an uncivilized turn of events, the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Imran Khan was manhandled at the Punjab University Campus today. He was later arrested by the police. A group of students kept him detained on the campus and later turned him over to the police. According to Dawn’s Report:
Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan was arrested from outside the Punjab University’s new campus on Wednesday after he had been manhandled and detained in the campus allegedly by activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba. Imran Khan had gone to the university at the invitation of a joint action committee of students.
The visit had been approved by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, to which the IJT is affiliated. On his arrival at the campus, the PTI chief was confronted reportedly by a group of IJT activists who kicked him around and punched him. They took him to a room in the Centre for High Energy Physics and detained him there for about 45 minutes.
This is an interesting (and sad) turn of events. Imran Khan’s party and the mother party of IJT are both partners in APDM. Imran and Qazi have been seen together in many media photo shoots for the past year or so. Will today’s action by IJT guys will cause long term bad-blood between the two parties? It is left to be seen.
We strongly believe that inspite of political differences, no person deserves physical bashing and humiliation as was met out to Imran. Political differences should never be taken to such extreme where people use force to get their point across. It is wrong. Shame on those who manhandled him. I was recently reading an article on political bashing in the Wall Street Journal. It had a punch line which just kept resonating with me. It read:
Our politics suffer when passions overcome reason and vitriol becomes virtue.
Details on Imran’s manhandling can be read here, here, here and here.
Atleast the Indians know better than most Pakistanis; to how to treat Pakistan’s national hero. May this amazing article written by an Indian teach us what it takes to be an “Imran Khan”:
http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2007/11/17/what-if- imran-khan-were-prime-minister-of-india/
(Excerpt from the article - What if Imran Khan were Prime Minister of India: ….Imagine, for a moment, Partition never happened.
Imagine, for a moment, an Indian cricket team with Imran, Javed Miandad, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, in the same XI.
Imagine a born-leader like Imran taking to politics in India.
Imagine an Imran Khan using his charisma, his mass appeal, his vision and his leadership abilities and climbing up, to the post of Prime Minister of India.
A truly secular politician, mature enough to lead, young enough to work hard, with undeniable leadership skills, total commitment to the values of democracy, and unafraid of taking on the system. He could be a male version of Indira Gandhi without a Sanjay Gandhi to cause trouble….)
Commendable effort by the author.
GOD BLESS IMRAN KHAN. WE LOVE IMRAN KHAN. OUR FAVOURITE SON and PROUDEST SON.
I agree with you Waqas. I also have positive sentiments for Imran. Let us rally in support of his freedom. We need Imran now, more than ever. He is the one and only hope. But to do this we need to be organized, and united.
I AM A STUDENT OF BSC ,I AM A BIG FAN OF IMRAN KHAN BECAUSE HE IS A GREAT FIGHTER AND A MAN OF COURAGE,ONE WHO CAN FIGHT WITH EVIL LIKE CURRENT PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT AND HE IS DOING SO BUT VERY SHAMEFULLY IT IS NOT THE DUTY OF ONE PERSON TO FIGHT FOR PAKISTAN IT IS DUTY OF ALL PROUD PAKISTANI .WE NEED LEADER LIKE IMRAN KHAN WHO CAN LEAD US FROM FRONT TO THE OUR DESTINATION WHICH HE DID WHEN HE WAS CAPTAIN OF PAKISTAN CRICKET TEAM IN 1992.I APPEAL TO MY ALL PAKISTANI BROTHERS THAT PLEASE ,PLEASE SUPORTE IMRAN KHAN KNOW THE TIME COMES ,PLEASE MR IMRAN KHAN IF YOU READ THIS MESSAGE I PROMISE YOU THAT WE ALL FRIENDS OF COLLEGE SUPPORT YOU BUT PLEASE ONCE COME TO RAWALPINDI WE ARE WITH YOU.WE WILL COMES ON TO ROAD BUT ONLY IF YOU SAY WE DID,NT HAVE FAITH ON ANY OTHER LEADER.THANKS
What Ayyaz Amir had to say about this
“But Imran has not been diminished by it. He continues to stand tall. He is a brave man who has showed great courage during the post-martial law period. It is the Jamiat and its parent body, the Jamaat, which look small. Manhandling one of the few national heroes we have and then handing him over to the police: can anything be more despicable?”
I always loved Musharraf but this is quite shocking to see Imran khan the proud son of our nation, who always fought against injustice, he left his lavish life for the sake of this nation, and see how is this man being treated by we shameful nation. We are sorry Imran Bhai, I donot like Musharraf anymore…
Sohail, Thanks for the link. I am posting Khaleej Times Editorial here for the naysayers.
“THE treatment meted out to Pakistan’s national hero Imran Khan just prior to and after his arrest ought to embarrass Pakistan’s public and government alike. Though still widely recognised as the inspiring captain who led Pakistan’s struggling cricket team to World Cup glory in ’92 — something that appeals very strongly to the public — Imran’s real contribution lies in his social and political work since his retirement.
It bears noting that his personal political bent notwithstanding, he has yet to be found flinching on responsibility that has come his way, an aspect of his personality that won him just as many laurels inside Pakistan as in the world outside. As cricket captain few doubted his ability to commandeer the national outfit. And he justified their trust by gifting the nation the much prized World Cup victory in his last professional match.
As an untiring social worker, he alone initially, and practically much of Pakistan middle and lower classes subsequently, bear responsibility for the country’s first and only cancer research centre and hospital, honouring a promise he made when his mother lost a long and painful battle to cancer. One would struggle to find a parallel in the Third World where the majority of patients cannot afford the costly treatment, and most are treated free of cost.
Then, as member of the national assembly, he has initiated what is without doubt one of the country’s most promising educational initiatives. Leveraging his position as chancellor of Bradford University, the plan envisages student and teacher exchange programmes for a proposed university that will cater to six districts, again extending free education to most students.
And truth be told, his political ideals can hardly be termed ‘against national interest’, as implied by General Musharraf and his band of merry men. He has argued for judicial independence for a good ten years now, a necessary facet of a democratic set-up. And few, if any, can find faults with struggling to fight for constitutional superiority. That, especially, when a life of luxury, away from the hassles of politics, was not much of a problem for him.
For Imran Khan to be incarcerated in the manner he has been, roughed up, bundled away and slapped with terrorism charges, ought to be an insult not only for Pakistanis, but all in the international community who advocate fair play. He has committed no crime save not siding with General Musharraf in uncertain times for the dictator. Clearly, in its drive to appear tough, the Musharraf regime is out of its depth.”
Imran is a hero for all Pakistani’s all over the world. It’s sad to see that a minority bunch of hired thugs representing themselves as JI. If I was to face these idiots I would feel pity for them as they do not know right from wrong. They are the Munafiks of Islam. They in my opinion deserve the treatment that Musharaff gives them when he treats them worse then the dogs. Long Live PTI, Long live PAKISTAN - ZINDABAD - Inshallah our day will come and PAKISTAN will be free and for all PAKISTANI’s not for one man like the dog MUSH