Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, has sharply criticized Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s recent call for armed protests against the federal government, following the events of November 26. Tarar accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of never holding peaceful protests, highlighting the party’s history of resorting to violence.
In response to Gandapur’s statement, Tarar pointed to the PTI’s track record of violent demonstrations. “Armed protests and the involvement of illegal Afghan immigrants have been a trademark of PTI,” he said on Saturday night. “They have previously marched on the federal capital with armed groups.”
The minister’s comments followed Gandapur’s incendiary remarks earlier in the day, in which he urged PTI founder Imran Khan to stop advocating for peace and warned the government that PTI would take to the streets with “guns” next time. Gandapur declared, “Imran Khan! For God’s sake, stop advocating for peace. Next time, we will not talk about peace. When we come out with weapons, we will show who runs away.”
Gandapur also condemned the PML-N-led coalition government, calling it “fascist” and accusing it of trampling on the Constitution, law, and morality.
In his response, Tarar also accused Gandapur’s security guard of firing shots during protests, citing eyewitness reports. He further alleged that the PTI was using violence and politics to exploit the deaths of protesters for their own gains.
The information minister called the May 9 and November 26 PTI-led protests “dark chapters” in the country’s history and asserted that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had already rejected the party’s approach. “The masses have turned their backs on PTI and will continue to do so, rejecting any future calls for protests,” Tarar concluded.
