ISLAMABAD - Among thousands of cheerful supporters of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) that were dancing to the loud music on the spacious Jinnah Avenue on Sunday, a grief stricken man was desperate to meet Imran Khan for seeking justice.
The joyless man who is also a PTI loyalist has come a long way to Islamabad from Karak district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so that he could catch Imran Khan and inform him about the tragedy he went through when kidnappers had abducted his brother a month back and then killed him brutally just three days ago after failing to pay Rs10 million as ransom money.
The upset man on the colourful Jinnah Avenue was Khurshid Alam, 43, who goes through a mental trauma after burying his brother Shah Alam on May 9 who was starved to death after being held for ransom by kidnappers in Karak.
While the venue of the Sunday’s protest rally was more like a refreshment center keeping in view the availability of food items, beverages and cold drinks distributed free of cost among the participants, Khurshid Alam would sip water from a bottle and keep inquiring about the arrival of Imran Khan to the spot.
“I want to meet him (Imran Khan) so that he could arrest the killers of my brother Shah Alam Khan. I have filed an FIR with Karak police besides knocking at the doors of two PTI MPAs and an MNA in my area. I am sure Imran Khan can give justice,” Khurshid Alam told The Nation in a choked voice after narrating his ordeal.
But suddenly the crowd gets charged amid long throat slogans as the rally managers played on another song but this time the popular Pashto song that has become hallmark of the PTI rallies when the distraught man recalls the moment he found his brother’s body along Indus Highway in relatively safe Karak district with his hands tied with a rope and clothes torn up.
He rushes towards the main stage immediately after the presenter announces arrival of key PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Javed Hashmi but stops half way after coming to know that Imran Khan will be quite late to turn up.
Anxiety grips the bereaved PTI supporter after sunset when more and more people start entering the venue and he fears that he may not be able to find way to the main dais in the thick crowd.
“I don’t want to miss a chance to meet him today. I want to return home with a hope. I am sure Karak police know about the killers,” he maintained.
And finally to his surprise, Imran Khan appears on the stage and is greeted with the famous Pashto song and everybody in the flag-waving crowd rushed towards the front chairs to see a glimpse of their charismatic leader but police did not allow anybody to cross the line.
“Can you help me convey my message to Imran Khan? Neither police nor PTI lawmakers in Karak pay any heed to my plight. He should give justice to me and arrest the kidnappers and killers of my brother,” Khurshid requested this reporter after losing the hope to meet Imran.