Johannesburg – After a shocking attack on the former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, the National Freedom Party (NFP) has condemned what they view as an attempted assassination attempt on Khan, who was shot when his protest convoy came under attack.
MP and party leader Ahmed Munzoor Shaik Emam said that violence can never be the solution to solve political differences.
"We need to support every person’s right to protest and to disagree with the government. This should be an unalienable right in every country," he said.
The party said it was concerned that there are allegations that the current PM of the country, Shehbaz Sharif, and other senior officials were behind the attack.
"These reports are deeply troubling, and as a country, we need to condemn any political violence carried out by any state against political opponents. These types of actions represent the onset of authoritative tendencies and should be condemned with the contempt it deserves," added Shaik Emam.
The party said that it is calling for calm amid rising tensions and appeals to the current political leaders in Pakistan to allow the political opposition to freely express their discontent without any retribution, as this will deepen their democracy.
"Dirco (Department of International Relations and Co-operation) needs to keep a close eye on the situation, as we cannot remain silent if there is political repression taking place in Pakistan. South Africa has always had good relations with Pakistan, and we regard them as our friends. However, we need to be firm, even with our friends, especially when they err," added Shaik Emam.
The Star