Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday alleged “some armed people” of various political parties, including the PTI, had created chaos in Bannu when they attended a peace march organized by local traders.
One person was killed and 22 others injured during a stampede triggered by a firing incident during Friday’s rally in Bannu, with Tarar stating the deceased was 1km away from Bannu Cantonment. Questioning why armed groups of “some political parties” attended the march and opened fire on the wall of Bannu Cantonment, he reiterated allegations of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) being “a sympathizer” of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He further accused the party of seeking “politics of bodies” in the country.
Accusing the PTI of using the Bannu march in a conspiracy to create chaos in the country, he categorically rejected the armed forces’ involvement in the firing incident, lamenting some people tried to blame the Pakistan Army for the incident for ulterior motives. He similarly rejected a statement issued by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government directing a probe into the incident, reiterating that the provincial government’s own politicians were responsible.
In its own statement, also issued on Sunday, the KP government alleged that “some miscreants in garb of these protesters” pelted stones on a Security Forces Supply Depot, set ablaze tents erected over a damaged wall, and engaged in small arms fire. “The police deployed there took stock of the situation and endeavored its best to take them out of the sensitive area,” it claimed, adding a Jirga set up by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was negotiating peace in the region.
Imran Khan incarceration
During his press talk, Tarar also slammed PTI founder Imran Khan for reiterating allegations he was detained in a “death cell,” maintaining the former prime minister’s prison lodgings were better than an average middle-class home. “You are telling the West that you’re facing troubles, and you’re imprisoned in a death cell,” he said, referring to an interview of Khan published in The Sunday Times. “This death cell is a ‘presidential suite’ in Adiala Jail, which is better than a middle-class house,” he said, alleging that Khan had behaved as a “dictator” during his time as prime minister and mistreated his political opponents regardless of gender.
“[They knew] Shehbaz Sharif had pain in his back. Despite that, he was brought in an armored car and pushed, and it is visible in the footage. Maryam Nawaz was in a 7×8 cell, where she could not even spread the prayer mat properly, she was not even allowed to walk,” he said, recalling that Nawaz Sharif was not permitted to speak to his dying wife while Rana Sanaullah’s cell had a fire lit outside it during summer.
“These are his words: ‘I will take off the AC and TV, and not give you food, I will not allow them medicines or visits’,” recalled Tarar of Khan’s statements on imprisoned PMLN leaders. To a question, however, Tarar said the incumbent government did not wish to victimize its political opponents and authorities were even granting Khan’s requests for his preferred meals.
Since he was incarcerated last year, Khan and his supporters have repeatedly alleged he is being mistreated in custody, with the government denying the claims and submitting documentary evidence in court of the facilities available to the PTI founder.
Consulate attack
Addressing Saturday’s attack on the Pakistani consulate in Germany, the information minister said the Foreign Office had recorded a protest with German authorities. “They have told them to ensure the Pakistani mission’s security and action be taken against those responsible for the security lapse,” he added.
He said the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA)’s chairman had been tasked to review the attack’s footage and check whether any Pakistani citizen was involved. “This is unacceptable; we wrap our martyr’s bodies in this flag,” he said, adding more Pakistan Army officers were martyred compared to other countries in the war on terror. In a video of the incident that went viral online, Afghan nationals can been storming the Pakistani consulate, with reports they also tried to burn the Pakistani flag.
According to Tarar, if any Pakistani were found to be involved in the incident, then their ID cards and passports would be blocked and strict action would be taken. “Khan sahib will not be able to save them,” he warned, alleging the PTI founder often incited people against the state.
During his presser, the minister also addressed questions about disruptions to the internet, maintaining a recent outage had impacted global operations. “The government has nothing to do with it, it’s an overall problem,” he said, adding the I.T. Ministry and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) would inform the public about cyber security.