Tarar claims PTI leaders seek arrest by choice to skip planned protest

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, claims that most Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers are seeking arrest to avoid participation in the planned protest, ARY News reported.

He claimed that PTI’s leadership does not want the release of their leader, Imran Khan, from prison. Tarar noted that reports from Punjab and Islamabad suggest that many PTI leaders, both senior and junior, are surrendering to the police.

He highlighted this as an indication of the party’s internal divisions, particularly between Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI’s founder Imran Khan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

Tarar emphasised that the PTI protest is only to secure an NRO-like concession for Khan’s release. He stated that the government cannot fulfil this demand, as it lies within the jurisdiction of the courts. He added that PTI should fight its case in the courts for Khan’s release, as he faces several charges.

The minister criticised PTI’s history of causing chaos and anarchy, citing the 2014 sit-in where PTI workers set fire to the Parliament and injured several policemen. He made it clear that any attempts to disrupt the economic progress made in the last eight months would not be tolerated, pointing to the increase in remittances, reduced interest rates, and lower inflation.

He warned that strict action would be taken if PTI protest attempted to derail the economy, adding that a high-level delegation from Belarus have arrived in Islamabad to invest in Pakistan’s economy. The President of Belarus will also be visiting in the coming days.

Tarar assured that the government would not allow any challenge to the state’s authority and that police are fully deployed in Islamabad to prevent any unrest. He mentioned that while life in Islamabad remains normal, certain major roads were closed to maintain law and order.

The minister blamed PTI for causing financial damage to traders and businesses by closing roads and attempting to disrupt foreign relations. He also reminded that PTI was behind the May 9 violence, which targeted sensitive installations and memorials of martyrs.

Concluding, Tarar stated that the government’s responsibility is to ensure security in Islamabad, and any miscreants would be dealt with firmly.

In a related news, Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik criticised PTI leaders, claiming they do not want the release of their founder, Imran Khan.

The Petroleum Minister remarked, “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.”

Further adding, “They need to explain: what’s coming out of their speeches? Where are the PTI members who haven’t been arrested? They don’t want any discussion on the release of PTI’s founder.”

Musadik Malik also questioned the political role of Bushra Bibi, stating, “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?”

PML-N’s stalwart stated that there were always doubts about whether Bushra Bibi was behind the decisions made by PTI’s founder. “Now it makes sense where the cipher issue came from after waking up at night.”

Lastly, he referred to a recent statement made by Bushra Bibi regarding a foreign country, which has led to embarrassment in the global community, particularly impacting Pakistan’s foreign policy.

He remarked that many people now believe Bushra Bibi isn’t just entering politics—she’s the one controlling it.