Islamabad (National Times) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan on Monday offered an “unconditional apology” after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur uttered inappropriate words against journalists in his explosive speech during Islamabad power show a day ago.
PTI firebrand politician Gandapur, who usually made headlines due to his fiery statements, came down hard on journalists during the embattled party’s major political event yesterday.
Hurling insults at the newsmen, the KP CM had alleged that a group of journalists were “campaigning against the PTI” besides vowing to “confront” them and asked the party workers to identify and expose them.
In a bid to calm down the situation, Gohar, while talking to Geo News, tendered an unconditional apology over Gandapur’s remarks which hurt the sentiments of journalists.
The PTI chairman claimed that he did not hear audio clip of Gandapur’s speech but he immediately contacted him after this matter came to his knowledge last night. He added that Gandapur had apologised for his statement during the conversation.
He was of the view that Gandapur’s remarks were apparently not for the entire journalist community but limited to “one or two journalists.” However, the chief minister offered an apology for the slurs, he added.
Gohar said that the media has also supported the Imran Khan-founded party and they respect the journalist community.
Elaborating on his party’s stance regarding a “two-week deadline” for the party founder Imran Khan’s release, he said that the former ruling party does not intend to go to any kind of confrontation.
Terming Gandapur’s remarks just a “political statement”, Gohar said that PTI would get relief only from courts and not by confrontation.
He added that PTI leadership was facing much pressure due to the imprisonment of the former premier, however, he pinned hopes on the courts to grant relief to Imran in different cases.
Unaware of what Gandapur say: Imran
The incarcerated PTI founder was asked by journalists about Gandapur’s controversial remarks and the use of foul language against media workers today at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail today.
Responding to it, Imran expressed ignorance about what the party stalwart said in the speech.
Some journalists questioned how come the ex-PM was unaware of Gandapur’s remarks when he knew all important developments taking place in the country while in jail.
However, the PTI founder insisted that he is “completely unaware of what is happening outside the jail”.
Gandapur will apologise too: Ayub
Meanwhile, parliamentary journalists staged a walk out of the Senate and the National Assembly’s sessions to protest against the KP chief minister’s vulgur remarks during the Islamabad rally.
Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan immediately reached out to the journalists who walked out of press gallery of the parliament and also tendered an “unconditional apology”.
The parliamentary journalists ended their boycott after getting assurance from Omar that CM Gandapur will also apologise for his remarks.
