Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has claimed that several leaders and workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are voluntarily seeking arrest to avoid participating in the party’s planned protest. Tarar suggested that PTI’s leadership does not actually want Imran Khan released from prison and that reports from Punjab and Islamabad indicate many senior and junior PTI leaders are surrendering to the police.
According to Tarar, this behavior reveals internal divisions within the party, especially between Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. He argued that the purpose of the PTI protest is not to demand Khan’s release, but rather to seek an NRO-like concession for him. However, Tarar emphasized that the government cannot fulfill this demand, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the courts.
The Minister criticized PTI’s history of creating unrest, citing the 2014 sit-in during which PTI workers caused significant damage, including setting fire to the Parliament and injuring police officers. Tarar made it clear that the government will not allow any attempts to disrupt the country’s economic progress made in the past eight months, highlighting the increase in remittances, reduced interest rates, and lower inflation.
Tarar warned that the government would take strict action against any protest that seeks to derail the economy, especially with Belarus’ high-level delegation arriving in Islamabad to invest in Pakistan’s economy. He assured that the government would ensure the state’s authority is maintained and police forces are fully deployed to prevent any unrest.
In addition, Tarar blamed PTI for causing economic damage, particularly 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 martyr memorials.
In a related development, Federal Minister for Petroleum Dr. Musadik Malik criticized PTI leaders for not supporting the release of Imran Khan. Malik pointed out the contradiction between PTI’s rhetoric about bloodshed and fire and their leaders hiding in the KP House or sleeping in hotels. He questioned PTI leaders’ commitment to their cause, stating that those not arrested do not want any real discussion on Khan’s release.
Musadik Malik also criticized Bushra Bibi’s role in PTI, stating that her involvement in rallies proves she is no longer apolitical, contrary to previous claims. He suggested that she may be controlling the party’s decisions and questioned the origins of the cipher issue that emerged during Imran Khan’s tenure.
Finally, Malik highlighted a recent statement by Bushra Bibi about a foreign country, which caused embarrassment on the global stage and impacted Pakistan’s foreign policy.
