Punjab Minister Calls PTI a 'Terrorist Entity' Amid Protest Tensions

Punjab's Information Minister, Azma Bokhari, denounced Imran Khan's PTI as a 'terrorist entity' amid their insistence on rallying in Islamabad, despite warnings. The protests coincide with significant international events, leading authorities to impose regulations while tensions between PTI and government authorities escalate.

In a contentious political climate, Azma Bokhari, Punjab's Minister for Information, has fiercely criticized Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehereek-e-Insaf (PTI), labeling it a 'terrorist entity.' According to Geo News, Bokhari's scathing remarks were prompted by PTI's unyielding insistence on organizing a rally at Islamabad's D-Chowk this Friday. This defiance comes despite Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's advisory against such a move.

In an interview with Geo News, Bokhari expressed support for Naqvi's stance, asserting that PTI would face restrictions from entering the capital. Naqvi had issued a warning on Thursday, urging the PTI to reconsider its plans due to the visit of foreign dignitaries, including Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

The PTI, led by Imran Khan, is spearheading nationwide protests, advocating for judicial independence and the release of a jailed former Prime Minister. As reported by Geo News, these demonstrations clash with the arrival of the Malaysian prime minister and the forthcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Pakistan.

In response to the tensions, Pakistani authorities have enforced Section 144 alongside the 'Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024,' to manage public gatherings in specific areas of Islamabad. Bokhari accused PTI of consistently opposing Pakistan's progress, stating, 'The country is progressing and inflation is dropping, but they cannot sit with peace.'

Highlighting past unrest, she accused PTI of resorting to teargas shelling against police in previous protests, indicating that peaceful assemblies would not encounter such resistance. Bokhari also challenged the populace of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to question PTI's inactivity, emphasizing, 'You cannot use public resources for vandalism.'

The day saw the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's sisters, Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan, at D Chowk, with PTI claiming they were detained for 'exercising her right of peaceful protest.' The party accused the government of crossing all limits of fascism by curbing fundamental rights to preserve 'illegitimate power.'

(With inputs from agencies.)