Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has selected the same Islami Jamiat Taliba (IJT) nazim for the slot of his political assistant who had allegedly beaten him on November 14, 2007 at Punjab University (PU), Pakistan Today learnt on Monday.
Sources said Hafiz Farhat Abbas, Khan’s newly-appointed political assistant, who was IJT’s former nazim at PU Hailey College, had not only manhandled Khan but had also detained him at PU Centre for High Energy Physics (CHEP) and had later handed him over to the police. IJT PU senior workers, praising Khan’s generosity, said Farhat was from amongst them and they were glad Khan had selected him for this important position. They confirmed that Farhat was a “rukin” (a senior designation in the group) and was so devoted to IJT’s cause that he had expressed the wish to be buried in its flag.
This might just be a generous act on Khan’s part, but politically, this is proving out to be a great move since this has allowed him to penetrate the pro Jamat-i-Islami ranks. It is important to mention here that in November 2007 Student Action Committee (SAC) had invited Khan at PU to lead a rally against former dictator Pervez Musharraf’s emergency. Khan’s visit had been approved by Qazi Hussain Ahmed, former chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, to which the IJT is affiliated. On his arrival at the campus, the PTI chief met strong opposition from IJT activists who kicked him around and punched him. They took him to a room in the Centre for High Energy Physics and detained him for about 45 minutes before handing him over to the police. Hafiz Farhat was one of those who were involved in torturing Khan. Some within Khan’s rank, however, have criticised the move saying that it would allow ‘jamatis’ to hijack Khan’s policies.
“There was no need to induct Hafiz Farhat since he was assigned the job of quashing PTI in PU. I do not understand why Imran Khan has done that, even after he was manhandled by IJT workers in 2007. IJT, under Nazim Haji Ayub had betrayed him back then but Khan has not brought that into consideration,” an Insaf Student Federation member, asking not to be named said, adding that Khan should not forget what Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and Hafiz Farhat had done to him.
Insiders in IJT accused Farhat’s father of using unfair means to get his son (Farhat) admitted to Hailey College and that was why his father’s membership had been cancelled. They also said Farhat’s father had illegally occupied a shop in PU also. They also admitted that Farhat had manhandled Khan in 2007.
ISF: ISF President Farukh Habib said it is right that Hafiz Farhat was a former IJT activist but denied that he was involved in manhandling Khan. He said on the occasion of his joining the group Khan himself had investigated his record but they did not find anything doubtful. He said Farhat had also condemned the manhandling of Imran before senior IJT activists and added that he was now PTI’s worker and the party relied on him Hafiz Farhat Abass when contacted, said, “I was present there but I did not even do as much as touch Imran Khan. I was telling people to not to harm him. I am so loyal to Imran Khan that IJT had tried to kill me for it,” adding that he was not involved in any unfair means or occupation of a shop in PU either.