Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, claimed on Sunday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Murad Saeed participated in the recent protest in Islamabad with armed individuals. He further alleged that Saeed is currently hiding at the CM House in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
During a press conference in Islamabad, Tarar accused Murad Saeed of planning to stage killings at the KP Chief Minister’s House. He added, “It doesn’t seem appropriate to raid the CM House to arrest him.” PTI has not yet responded to Tarar’s allegations against Murad Saeed.
The minister further stated that the protests had caused a loss of PKR 192 billion to the country. “I salute the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for rejecting their call. Only 2,000–2,500 people remained with them,” he remarked.
Following PTI’s “final call” for a march toward Islamabad on November 24, a convoy led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, set off for the capital. Despite overcoming obstacles, the convoy reached Islamabad’s D-Chowk on November 26, but security forces cracked down and cleared the area of PTI workers.
Tarar claimed that no civilian casualties occurred during the operation to disperse protesters in Islamabad. “Hospital administrations in the federal capital confirmed that no bodies were brought in during PTI’s protest. It’s disheartening to see politics revolving around dead bodies,” he stated.
Addressing accusations of sniper attacks and open gunfire, Tarar said, “TV channels showed no such scenes where snipers were stationed on buildings or gunfire occurred from the front. Forces are not armed during protests.”
He further alleged that trained, armed Afghan nationals and other miscreants were present in PTI’s protest, equipped with advanced weaponry and tear gas shells. According to the minister, 37 Afghan nationals participated in the protest, questioning whether the country’s constitution allows foreign citizens to engage in such activities.
Tarar revealed that one Afghan national was arrested from D-Chowk, and around 45 weapons were confiscated by the police. He also accused PTI of spreading propaganda to cover up its political failure, stating that intelligence reports indicated plans for attacks under the guise of the “final call.”
“The protest held without Islamabad High Court’s approval was illegal,” Tarar emphasized.
Referring to allegations of casualties during PTI’s protest, he said, “Foreign media showed AI-generated images. Gaza photos and a 2019 image were shared on PTI’s social media platforms.”
Tarar dismissed these claims as baseless, asserting that there was no evidence of bloodstains or violence at any location. “The only way forward is to issue notices through the FIA and demand proof from those making these allegations,” he said.
According to an investigation by Independent Urdu, 10 individuals lost their lives during PTI’s protests, with 110 injured by gunfire treated at hospitals. However, PTI claims 12 of its workers were killed in the protests.
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, in a press conference in Peshawar, stated, “Twelve of our workers were killed, and many were injured during the Islamabad protest. The government claims no shots were fired, but evidence and videos show otherwise.” He added that the deceased included seven from KP, two from Balochistan, and one each from Punjab, Azad Kashmir, and Islamabad.
Some PTI leaders have provided varying figures regarding the number of fatalities.
