PTI's protest aims at creating chaos: Ishaq Dar

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar termed the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf’s (PTI) protest t an attempt to harm Pakistan’s prestige at the global level.

The deputy prime minister said that the protest is launched at a time when Pakistan is going to host Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad, a press statement issued here read.

Ishaq Dar said that the objective of the protest is to create chaos in the country and sabotage Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts at the SCO’s summit.

He said that the PTI’s invitation to a foreign minister of a neighbouring country to participate in its protest is a political gimmick by its leadership inflicting damage to the national stature.

Ishaq Dar said that the time is ripe for making a resolve to the country’s stability and leading it to its real destination. The deputy prime minister stressed the need for putting greater national interests ahead of small-scale political ones.

“The eyes of the world are currently on Pakistan and we need to show unity instead of differences,” Ishaq Dar added.

Earlier, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claimed that a total of 11 officers from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police and 120 Afghan nationals were arrested among PTI protesters in Islamabad.

Speaking alongside IG Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar, Naqvi described how the protest, led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, escalated into violence, including firing at police resulting in injuring several policemen.

According to Naqvi, a total of 564 individuals were arrested during the crackdown, including 11 KP police officers who were reportedly involved in the protest.