Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar expressed skepticism on Monday regarding the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s upcoming rally in Islamabad, casting doubt on whether the opposition party would receive permission to hold the event in the federal capital.
Speaking on a program at private news channel, Tarar pointed to PTI’s history of protests, suggesting that their past conduct makes it unlikely they would be granted approval for the rally.
“Given their past record, I don’t believe they will be allowed to rally in Islamabad,” the information minister remarked, questioning the PTI’s ability to hold a peaceful protest. He emphasized that merely declaring an event as peaceful is insufficient, stating, “One does not become peaceful [merely] by saying [so]; one has to prove it.”
The announcement of the rally, scheduled for August 22, was made by Adviser to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, who reassured that the PTI would avoid any legal violations. However, Tarar remained unconvinced, highlighting previous instances of PTI-led protests that were far from peaceful.
Responding to rhetoric from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who vowed to hold the rally “come what may,” Tarar referenced former KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak’s similar attempts, noting how Khattak had once arrived with cranes and modern equipment in a show of force.
The information minister also cited the recent peaceful sit-in by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) against inflated electricity bills, which was not allowed to enter Islamabad, suggesting that PTI’s rally might face similar restrictions.
On the same program, PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat made it clear that the party would not be deterred from holding their rally, even if the government attempted to use force against them. He assured that the KP’s caravan would be substantial and impossible to block, stating that participants would be unarmed and peaceful.
“We will remain peaceful,” Marwat affirmed. However, he issued a warning, stating, “If there is violence or firing, the whole of Pakistan will rise up.
