Information Minister Attaullah Tarar says the government will ensure public movement is not disrupted and violent groups are not allowed to enter Islamabad.
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of seeking to create disorder and block roads across the country, saying political protests that disrupt public movement also cause economic losses.
Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Tarar said the government did not want the situation to deteriorate but would not allow violent groups to gather or disrupt public life. His remarks came as authorities reiterated their position on maintaining public movement amid concerns over political protests.
“PTI people want to create disorder in different parts of the country and block roads,” Tarar said, adding that PTI protests had caused damage to the economy.
The minister also claimed that no PTI protest had remained peaceful, citing previous incidents in which law enforcement personnel were killed during clashes linked to protests. These were presented by Tarar as the government’s assessment of PTI’s past demonstrations.
Tarar said the government wanted to prevent any deterioration in the law-and-order situation and would take steps to ensure that public movement was not disrupted.
His comments are consistent with the government’s position stated in recent days. On Sept. 20, Tarar said the Islamabad High Court had issued clear directions against disruption of public life through protests and that the government and administration were responsible for ensuring that roads and public movement remained open. He also said no armed group would be allowed to enter Islamabad.
The Islamabad High Court had ruled on Sept. 14 that no political party or public office holder had the lawful right to obstruct the free movement of citizens or block roads in the federal capital. The court also directed provincial authorities to ensure that government resources and machinery were not used for political protests.
Tarar further said that “many people” were claiming that fraud was also taking place, but he declined to comment on the matter.
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