VIDEO: ‘This calls for another slap,’ says Fawad Ch in response to PTI’s press release

Former Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry on Monday said that a press release against him by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was issued against party founder Imran Khan’s directive.

The PTI political committee on Saturday issued a statement on PTI’s official X (formerly Twitter) account condemning Chaudhry’s violence against lawyer Shoaib Shaheen. The scuffle between them occurred outside Adiala Jail Rawalpindi’s gate no. five on Friday.

Speaking on a private media outlet, Chaudhry said that in the presence of PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan at Adiala Jail, Imran Khan denied that he instructed the party to issue the press release against him.

When the programme host said that the condemnation press release appears to be written by the PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and asked whether Raja would be the next target of Chaudhry’s violence, the former Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry sarcastically responded that Raja should correct his behaviour so that he doesn't get beaten up.

The condemnation’s statement dubbed Chaudhry’s action a “crude and callous demonstration of the animal instinct over logic and reason.”

 
Further terming Chaudhry’s action “a criminal act”, the statement said, “It is not a slap on the face of Mr. Shoaib Shaheen alone. It is a slap on the face of PTI.”

When asked by the host if Chaudhry was going to slap someone else, he replied that the press release sure called for one. “These two or three people do not have any other treatment,” he said, bursting into laughter.

Additionally, the statement read, “His dastardly conduct further reflects the frustration that Fawad Chaudhry may be suffering from when, as per instructions of the Founder Chairman Mr. Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, the party announced its complete dissociation from his person. It was also announced that Mr. Fawad Chaudhry would not represent the party at any forum in any manner whatsoever.”

“The Political Committee of PTI takes a serious note of the incident and condemns Mr. Fawad Chaudhry’s gross demeanour in the strongest possible words. The Political Committee also reiterates its complete support for Mr. Shoaib Shaheen for his sagacity in the face of adversity. We salute his courage and composure in dealing with an ugly situation. Despite the dastardly provocation, we call upon our activists and workers to remain peaceful. The party shall prevail.”

He lambasted PTI leaders, saying that Imran Khan’s name is being misused. “Owing to their [party leaders] assistance, Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Yasmin Rashid are in jail,” he alleged.

Asked about whether the party founder has not expelled Chaudhry from the party and if he is still associated with the party, he said, “Yes, 100 per cent.”