- Party holds Hayatabad mega-ceremony to pays tribute to workers killed in Nov 26, 2024 crackdown
- Waqas Akram says martyrs’ sacrifices remain ‘beacons of resistance,’ reaffirms party’s vows struggle to continue until democracy and mandate restored
- Sounds alarm over Imran Khan’s safety amid jail isolation, demands immediate release
- Decries persistent media censorship and political vendettas, calls on judiciary to act against violations of court orders
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday marked the first anniversary of what it described as the “D-Chowk massacre,” renewing its condemnation of the deadly state crackdown on peaceful party workers on 26 November 2024.
The party said the grim anniversary served as a painful reminder of the day when a barrage of bullets tore through its protest camp in Islamabad, leaving several workers “martyred” and dozens seriously injured, describing the incident as an “unhealed wound on the nation’s conscience” and a “stark symbol of what they called unchecked state aggression.”
In a strongly-worded statement issued on the occasion, PTI Central Information Secretary (CIS) Sheikh Waqas Akram paid what he called the party’s “highest and most heartfelt tribute” to the workers who lost their lives. He said their sacrifices stood as “enduring beacons” that continued to illuminate the movement, asserting that “no power or force” would be able to extinguish them. “The cycle of oppression, fascism, and tyranny will eventually end,” he added, “for dawn always follows even the longest night.”
He said the day underscored how ruthlessly fundamental rights, constitutional protections, and democratic freedoms had been trampled by those wielding state power without accountability. The anniversary, he stressed, was not only an occasion for grief but a reminder of the ongoing battle for political rights and civil liberties.
To honour the deceased workers, the party organised a special mega-ceremony on Wednesday at 5:00 PM at the Hayatabad Sports Complex Football Ground. Sh Waqas said the event aimed to collectively commemorate the martyrs, renew their memory, and present a unified national tribute to their “unparalleled sacrifices,” describing them as the voice of a nation determined to remain unbroken despite oppression.
Reiterating PTI’s commitment to what he called a “just and noble struggle,” the PTI CIS said party leaders and workers would not relent until genuine democracy was restored, the Constitution upheld, the people’s mandate respected, and Imran Khan—along with all political prisoners—released. He emphasised that the party would continue its political campaign “regardless of oppression or attempts at suppression.”
Sh Waqas condemned what he described as the “fascism unleashed on 26 November 2024,” as well as what he termed the continuing repression, tightening media censorship, political vendettas, and the “complete politicisation and paralysis of state institutions.” He said the same authoritarian mindset prevailed today, adding that “the brutality and reckless abuse of power” had intensified rather than diminished. “Tyranny is never permanent,” he insisted, “and the voice of the people ultimately triumphs.”
He assured that PTI would neither forget nor allow the sacrifices of the affected families to fade into obscurity, describing them as the foundation of democratic rights and Pakistan’s future. “We stand with our martyrs, Imran Khan, and all prisoners of conscience,” he said. “This caravan cannot be stopped.”
The PTI CIS also raised fresh concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the incarcerated PTI founder, who he said remained confined in a death cell under “deplorable conditions” on politically motivated charges. He alleged that Imran Khan was being denied access to his lawyers, family, and party leadership in violation of court orders and his fundamental legal rights.
Sh Waqas further claimed that Imran Khan’s global credibility and political vision made him a threat to international power networks, referencing recently surfaced emails linked to the late Jeffrey Epstein—described in the statement as a key figure in a Zionist network—claiming these communications showed that powerful actors viewed Khan as a challenge to their agenda. He alleged that this was reflected in what PTI calls a “Zionist-engineered conspiracy,” executed through local collaborators, to remove him from power and place him in arbitrary detention.
He also expressed concern over reports regarding a possible transfer of Imran Khan from Adiala Jail, noting the suspension of his meeting rights, including with lawyers, family members, and personal doctors, for several weeks. He said this pattern of restrictions, despite multiple court directives, had caused widespread alarm and raised serious questions about the physical and mental wellbeing of both Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi.
Sh Waqas criticised the authorities for disregarding court orders, noting that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief executive had been denied meetings with the PTI founder on seven consecutive occasions—something he said amounted to “disrespect toward 50 million people of the province.” He added that Khan was confined to a 6×8 cell for 22 hours a day and had been denied communication with his sons for months, describing it as an attempt by an “anxious and illegitimate regime” to isolate him completely.
Demanding an immediate end to “brutal and inhuman tactics,” he urged courts to expedite decisions on pending bail applications to secure Khan’s early release. He said the campaign to isolate Imran Khan undermined judicial authority and called upon the judiciary to uphold its dignity by holding violators of court orders accountable.
