Islamabad, December 1, 2024 – The Ministry of Interior has strongly condemned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for its alleged social media campaign, accusing it of inciting unrest and spreading disinformation domestically and internationally. In a statement, the ministry warned that those responsible would face legal action under applicable laws.
The ministry alleged that PTI protesters were directly responsible for the deaths of one police officer and three Rangers personnel. It further claimed that approximately 1,500 trained protesters, led by the ‘fugitive’ Murad Saeed, participated in violent activities. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government was also accused of misusing state resources to support these protests, allegedly in defiance of court orders.
The statement criticized the KP Chief Minister for using the provincial assembly as a platform to make inflammatory and baseless remarks against state institutions. It referenced a November 21 Islamabad High Court directive instructing the federal government to ensure peace and order, while urging dialogue with PTI leadership.
According to the ministry, the protests involved trained militants, including illegal Afghan nationals, allegedly operating under Murad Saeed’s direct supervision. These groups reportedly used militant tactics against law enforcement, escalating violence.
The ministry emphasized that police and Rangers refrained from using live ammunition during the operation and clarified that the Pakistan Army was neither deployed nor directly involved in managing the unrest. It claimed that armed individuals accompanying PTI leadership, along with some protesters, engaged in indiscriminate firing during the dispersal.
PTI’s leadership was accused of abandoning the scene rather than de-escalating tensions. Following the crowd’s dispersal, federal ministers for interior and information visited the affected area and addressed the media.
The ministry also accused PTI of orchestrating a coordinated social media campaign to falsely blame law enforcement agencies for casualties. This narrative, it stated, was contradicted by major hospitals in Islamabad.
The statement further alleged that the campaign relied on outdated and AI-generated fake videos, expressing concern that some foreign media outlets had been misled by this disinformation.
