ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday strongly condemned what it called a ‘brutal and excessive’ use of force against Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers in Muridke, calling for the immediate resignation of Punjab’s chief minister and a full judicial inquiry into the incident.
Speaking at a press conference, PTI spokesman Sheikh Waqas Akram denounced the crackdown, saying that the bloodshed of peaceful demonstrators had no place in a democratic society. “The use of lethal force on unarmed citizens is indefensible,” he said. “This is not law enforcement rather it is state-sanctioned violence.”
He questioned the silence of the country’s top leadership in the wake of the incident, pointing to the absence of public statements from the prime minister, and the president. “These officials, who routinely hold press conferences to attack political opponents, have now gone silent after this massacre.”
Referring to the 2014 Model Town incident, he claimed that had accountability been ensured at that time, the tragedy in Muridke could have been avoided.
He claimed that TLP leadership had sought dialogue until the very last moment and had repeatedly pleaded with authorities to refrain from using force; yet no restraint was shown.
Akram argued that firing on citizens would only deepen societal divides and foster further resentment. “This marks a dangerous shift “From enforced disappearances to glorified police encounters and now, direct firing on civilians (…) the state is normalising violence in the name of accountability.”
He said: “The blind use of force will not deliver justice, nor will it restore public trust as it only reveals the moral and political bankruptcy of the rulers.”
He demanded urgent medical assistance for the injured, compensation and justice for the families of those killed, and the immediate release of all detained protesters, including women. “Only an independent probe can uncover the truth and deliver accountability.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.