Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of spearheading an “India-sponsored” agenda in the country, as he slammed party Information Secretary Raoof Hasan’s contacts with an Indian journalist.
In a statement, he said the conversations between Hasan and foreign journalist had “exposed” the former ruling party. Alleging that the former ruling party was using its social media cell to run a campaign against the Pakistan Army, he claimed the ongoing investigation against Hasan had unearthed “evidence” of Indians funding the PTI from abroad. Informing the Indian journalist of a looming “bloody revolution” in Pakistan was evidence of this, he claimed.
Accusing PTI of being a “foreign-funded” party, Tarar claimed it had harmed the country’s foreign policy through a cipher conspiracy, adding further that the party was attempting to harm national integrity at the behest of its “foreign lords.” Hasan’s conversations with an Indian journalist had mirrored this, he claimed.
“The PTI’s social media cell was a major source of connections with the country’s enemies. Now, we can understand why the May 9 attacks were launched,” he claimed, referring to the May 9, 2023 riots. He claimed that the “foreign-funded coterie” had crossed all limits of animosity against the country and its “real objective” of seeking to damage Pakistan’s national interests and its Army had become clear.
Censuring the PTI, he claimed the party’s supporters were fulfilling the Indian agenda from within Pakistan. The PTI-led government’s decision to resettle militants in Pakistan was part of the desire to fulfill the Indian agenda, he alleged. The “Faiz-Niazi-Bushra” nexus harmed the country, he added.
Government officials have been ramping up criticism of the PTI and its alleged links with former ISI chief Lt. Gen. (retd.) Faiz Hameed since the latter’s arrest by the Army over allegations of misuse of authority. The process of Field General Court Martial has been initiated against Hameed, reportedly netting several members of his “network” in the process.
The PTI’s Hasan, meanwhile, was arrested in July over allegedly operating a digital media cell running propaganda against Pakistan and its integrity.