ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture on Tuesday accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of bringing Afghan citizens, terrorists and criminals to the so-called final call of their leader which was taken out to destroy the peace of the country.
Talking to the media at D-Chowk, the minister condemned the participation of foreign nationals, terrorists and criminals in the protest, and claimed that he had the evidence in this regard, which be brought before the public at appropriate time.
He said he had checked the record of some miscreants who were arrested from the D-Chowk by the police, and ironically one of them was brought to the protest on daily wages from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the others were Afghan citizens and professional criminals who were found involved in dacoity in Islamabad.
The minister asked whether any party’s manifesto allowed to give a membership to the Afghan citizen or any other national, adding the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had no such a tradition.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” he said while addressing to the international media who, according to the minister, are “trying to portray that the government is coming down hard on the peaceful protestors.”
“I have in my hands the shells of tear gas and marbles which are being pelted upon the police personnel and rangers by these miscreants,” he said, urging the international media to beware of the “political rhetoric” of the PTI which had brought violent protestors and wanted to destroy peace of Islamabad, so that the visit of the Belarus President which has been taking place at this point of time could be sabotaged.
“We have offered them to go into other places or their own province and stage the protest there, but they are hell bent to disturb the peace of the constitutional avenue which will not be allowed at any cost,” the minister warned.
He said the interior minister had offered them to hold this protest at Sangjani point and it could have been a peaceful protest, and he would have provided security and made arrangements for them to hold the protest there.
Tarar said ironically, the PTI had insisted upon holding the protest at D-Chowk, just to destroy peace of Pakistan and vandalize the public and private property and cause damage to the life and property of citizens.
“They have among themselves Afghan citizens, terrorists, dacoits, robbers and all kind of people wanted by the law enforcement agencies,” he said, adding the government could not give them what they wanted.
He ruled out any negotiation with the PTI, citing 190 million pound and May 9 arson cases against the PTI founder which are being heard by the courts. “What talks we can have on these cases. Whether they are seeking an NRO or deal,” he questioned.
He said the government had nothing to do with the PTI founder cases and it is up to the courts to decide about his release.
“The state is not weak, and they are wrong if they believe that they can challenge the writ of the state by using the shells and glass marbles,” he said, adding the writ had been maintained in Islamabad.
The minister asked Bushra Bibi to bring her own sons from the other marriage or the Imran Khan sons, Qasim and Suleman to be part of this violent protest instead of using poor children as a human shield.
