The Interior Ministry issues a statement on the PTI protest, accusing the party of violent unrest

The Ministry of Interior has started the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest, addressing the party’s actions and the subsequent response. According to the statement, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on November 21 directed the federal government to take necessary measures to maintain law and order in the capital. The IHC specifically instructed the interior minister to engage with PTI leadership to ensure the protest proceeded peacefully.

Despite requests from the government to postpone the protest, particularly due to the sensitivity of visits by the Belarusian president and a Chinese high-level delegation, PTI insisted on proceeding. In response, the government offered PTI the Sangjani area as a designated protest location. However, despite these extraordinary concessions, PTI failed to comply with court orders and instead unlawfully breached entry into Islamabad’s Red Zone.

The statement further accused PTI protesters of engaging in violent behaviour throughout their march from Peshawar to Islamabad. The protestors reportedly clashed aggressively with law enforcement agencies (LEAs), using firearms, steel slingshots, stun grenades, tear gas shells, and nail-studded batons to force their way into the Red Zone.

The ministry also highlighted the misuse of resources from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provincial government to support the protest. It claimed that the protest was logistically and financially backed by KP’s government, with violent miscreants, including illegal Afghan nationals, playing a central role in the unrest. These individuals, described as a violent vanguard, numbered around 1,500 and were allegedly led by Murad Saeed, a PTI leader who is also a proclaimed offender.