Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has appealed for general amnesty for those jailed over the May 9 violent incidents.
On his X account on Sunday, the former minister posted that he had been freed after 40 days. He added that he did not know where he spent those 40 days, but clarified that he was not harmed during that period in any way.
میں ساری قوم کا، اپنی ماؤں بہنوں بیٹیوں کا مشکور ہوں جن کی دعاؤں سے کم و بیش 40 روزہ چلے کے بعد مجھے رہائی نصیب ہوئی۔ مجھے نہیں معلوم کہ میں نے یہ چلہ کس جگہ پر کاٹا ہے لیکن مجھے چلے کے دوران کسی بھی قسم کی کوئی تکلیف نہیں پہنچائی گئی۔ اب میری زندگی کا مشن ان تمام لوگوں کو جو…
— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) October 22, 2023
He further declared that he had only one mission now, which was to get general amnesty for all those who are either in hiding, those who committed the “mistakes” on May 9 or the innocent ones in jail.
“The entire nation should support me on my X platform in this peaceful mission. I have never appealed on X before, but I’m doing it now for the first time. I ask you to support me in appealing for a general amnesty for all those who committed the mistake of May 9,” he posted.
Also Read: Sheikh Rashid says he already condemned May 9 events
Sheikh Rashid further said that he was launching this campaign tomorrow and asked for prayers from the nation.
A couple of days ago, the former interior minister condemned the May 9 incidents and revealed that he had always advised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan to maintain good relations with the army.
He made these remarks in an exclusive interview on SAMAA TV show Meray Sawal with Muneeb Farooq that was aired on Friday.
To another question regarding his disappearance from the political scene after May 9, Sheikh Rashid said he had gone to perform a "chilla" [a 40-day spiritual retreat].
He further said he was part of the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting on the US cipher and that three people were negotiating with the army on behalf of the PTI chairman. He said all three of them have now formed their own parties.
He added that Imran Khan told them twice to avoid negotiations with the army. The former minister also said he was out of the country at the time of the events of May 9 and 10 and that he had already condemned them.
However, he went on to claim that non-political people played an important role in the May 9 incidents. He also said that a politician should never call out a soldier. The former minister said he felt proud of calling himself a 'spokesperson' of the armed forces.
