ISLAMABAD, Nov 28 (dna):Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar on Thursday stated categorically that no direct firing was done by the law enforcement agencies during operation to flush out Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protestors.
Talking to foreign media, along with Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, he said that there was clear policy of the government that no direct firing will be done on protestors.
The minister said that there were no fatalities in the operation and both major hospitals of the Capital – Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Polyclinic had issued statements that no dead bodies were brought there.
Besides, the Ministry of National Health Services also issued a statement denying PTI’s claims that its workers were killed in security forces’ firing. The minister stated that a list circulating on social media regarding the death of protesters was declared fake.
The minister said that the federal capital was besieged for the past several days by the miscreants belonging to a political party and this was not the first time they had done so.
Attaullah Tarar said that the PTI activists wanted to disrupt peace in Islamabad.
He said that the Belarusian President and his delegation was present in the red zone when the PTI protestors besieged the capital.
The minister said that the miscreants had modern weapons, tear gas shells, stones and slingshots with them and they were targeting the law enforcement agencies personnel.
He informed the foreign media that Islamabad High Court had ordered that there would be no protest of any kind but they openly violated the court orders.
The miscreants violated the red zone and tried to wreak havoc with the country when the economy was doing well.
“We offered them to protest at Sangjani near the capital where they could protest peacefully but they rejected the offer as peaceful protest was not their intention.
He said two days ago, a footage was released in which professionals in the protesters could be seen firing, using weapons, tear gas shells, pellet guns.
Tarar said that four Rangers and two police personnel were martyred by miscreant attacks. He asked on whose hands the blood of these martyrs could be found.
He said the security forces performed their duty and established peace in the federal capital.
The minister lamented that a false narrative was created on social media claiming that Rangers were martyred by their own people.
He told the media that culprit involved in hit and run incident had been identified who belonged to Abbottabad City.
He said there was no rhyme or reason behind the protest, only they wanted to disturb the peace of Islamabad.
They had no public demand, except they wanted release of their leader jailed in several cases including corruption, he added.
“We arrested 37 Afghan criminals during the PTI protest. Afghanistan is our friendly country.The question arises, what were the Afghan citizens doing in the protest of the political party in Islamabad? Are they allowed to do so?”
He said that a large-scale operations were conducted from 2013 to 2017, peace was restored to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh metropolis Karachi and incidents of terrorism decreased in entire country. But when the PTI was brought into power in 2018, the Founding Chairman PTI who was the prime minister of the country, brought back the Taliban, he added.
The wave of terrorism, he said was going on in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the chief minister of the province had no interest in restoration of law and order there.
He said that 50 persons were killed in Kurram District of the KP and they were besieging Islamabad.
“There is only one person responsible for terrorism in the country who is promoting violence,” he maintained.
He contended that PTI was the party that always used religion as a tool.
Referring to a recent statement of the spouse of Imran Khan, he asked what was purpose of making a statement against Saudi Arabia.
He said their objective was to play with the religious sentiments of the people of the country and exploit religion for their political purposes.
He said that the miscreants ransacked media houses and attacked media professionals performing their duties.
Replying to the questions of the media, he said that the PTI was suffering from internal differences as many top leaders of the party including Atif Khan, Shehram Tarakai, Asad Qaiser, Hamad Azhar and Sheikh Waqas Akram were not present.
The minister said there was clear rift between Aleema Khan and Bushra Bibi who intended to stage a coup in the party.
He remarked that the PTI had the habit of putting its flag on the dead bodies of ordinary citizens and declare them as its workers.
He stated that there were no fatalities in the law enforcement agencies operation to flush out protestors near D Chowk.
Tarar categorically said that no live firing was done by law enforcement agencies. He questioned that if direct firing was done, why a political party which made videos of all incidents, could not provide a single proof of direct firing by security forces.
He said even they could not doctor a video through artificial intelligence in this regard.
