Islamabad [Pakistan], November 25 : Pakistan's Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, has claimed that many leaders and members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are voluntarily seeking arrest to avoid taking part in the planned protest that was called for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan from prison, ARY News reported on Monday.
Tarar alleged that PTI leadership is not interested in securing the release of their leader, Imran Khan, from prison and noted reports from Punjab and Islamabad indicating that numerous PTI leaders, both senior and junior, are surrendering to the police, ARY News reported.
He pointed to internal divisions within the party, particularly between Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan's wife, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. Tarar suggested that the PTI protest was primarily aimed at obtaining an NRO-like concession for Khan's release, a demand the government cannot fulfil as it lies within the jurisdiction of the courts, ARY News reported. He urged PTI to pursue the matter through the legal system, as Khan faces multiple charges.
The minister criticized PTI's past actions, referencing the 2014 sit-in, where PTI workers caused chaos, including setting fire to Parliament and injuring police officers. He stated that any attempts to disrupt the country's economic progress, which has seen improvements in remittances, lower interest rates, and reduced inflation, would not be tolerated.
Tarar warned of strict action if PTI's protest threatened the economy, noting the arrival of a Belarusian delegation in Islamabad to discuss investments and the upcoming visit of the President of Belarus. He assured that the government would not allow any challenges to state authority and that police were deployed in Islamabad to prevent unrest. While life in Islamabad remained normal, some major roads were closed to maintain order, as reported by ARY News.
The minister accused PTI of causing financial harm to businesses and traders by blocking roads and attempting to disrupt foreign relations. He also reminded that PTI was responsible for the May 9 violence, which targeted sensitive sites and memorials of martyrs.
Concluding, Tarar emphasized the government's duty to maintain security in Islamabad and stated that any troublemakers would be dealt with decisively.
Pakistan's Minister for Petroleum, Musadik Malik, also criticized PTI leaders, claiming they did not want the release of Imran Khan. He questioned the leaders' commitment, pointing out the discrepancy between their calls for unrest and their absence from the frontlines while hiding in hotels at night.
"PTI's voters usually show up, but are the leaders hiding somewhere to rest at the KP House? They talk of bloodshed and fire, yet sleep in hotels at night," he said.
Musadik Malik also raised concerns about the political involvement of Bushra Bibi, despite her earlier claim of being apolitical.
He linked her actions to decisions made by PTI's founder, suggesting that she might be the driving force behind the party's actions.
"If she was supposed to be apolitical, then how is she leading rallies? Now it's clear that she's no longer apolitical. What happened to your narrative of hereditary politics?" he said.
"Now it makes sense where the cipher issue came from after waking up at night," Malik added.