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Islamabad: The Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, on Wednesday, stirred controversy by encouraging citizens to take matters into their own hands when faced with bribery demands from officials.
Ali Amin Gandapur, who belongs to jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was addressing a public gathering in a village of his home district, Dera Ismail Khan.
Gandapur asked the masses to resort to violence, suggesting hitting the bribe-seeker with a brick on the head and then attributing the act to him (Gandapur), The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
“People! Hit a brick on the head of the officer asking for a bribe”
“People! Hit a brick on the head of the officer asking for a bribe and take my name… crack open the head of the officer or official of any department who asks for a bribe,” he said. Gandapur went on to emphasise that according to Islamic teachings, both the giver and taker of bribes would be condemned to hell.
However, this endorsement of vigilante justice has drawn widespread criticism and raised concerns about its potential repercussions. By urging citizens to bypass legal channels and resort to violence, Gandapur’s statement could fuel a culture of lawlessness and vigilante retribution, opening the door to abuse and misuse of power.
PTI leader faced backlash for making sexist remarks
This isn’t the first time Gandapur has found himself embroiled in controversy. Previously, the PTI leader faced backlash for making sexist remarks against political opponents.
In 2021, while targeting the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and now-Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Gandapur made derogatory comments about her appearance and implied threats of violence, the report said.
Gandapur, moustached with flowing hair, is known for loyalty to Imran Khan, who picked him as chief minister more for his confrontational nature than administrative abilities, the report said.
(With inputs from agency)
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