Following the dispersal of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters from Islamabad, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the urgent need to make difficult decisions to eliminate the politics of agitation and stabilize the nation.
Addressing a federal cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the premier remarked, “We must choose between saving Pakistan or permitting disruptive sit-ins.” His comments came after PTI’s “do-or-die” protest, which led to road blockades, school closures, and clashes between protesters and law enforcement, was called off early Wednesday after a crackdown.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi later confirmed the restoration of normalcy across the country, with cleared roads and resumed mobile and internet services. The protest was part of PTI’s ongoing campaign to secure the release of party chairman Imran Khan, jailed in Rawalpindi for over a year.
PM Shehbaz lamented the economic repercussions of the unrest, highlighting daily losses of Rs190 billion and a 4,000-point drop in the stock market. He criticized past PTI sit-ins, including a 2014 protest that disrupted a key Chinese presidential visit, and noted recent chaos ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
He revealed that Pakistan and Belarus would formalize agreements in January, signaling hope for progress despite political turmoil. The prime minister also condemned the resurgence of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Parachinar and Kurram clashes, accusing PTI of misusing government resources to attack Islamabad.
Calling the protest a “conspiracy,” he urged strong punitive action, asserting, “We’ll break any hand attempting to harm Pakistan.” Stressing the need for decisive choices, PM Shehbaz said mutual consultation was essential to put the nation on a path of prosperity.
