ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has rejected the possibility of talks with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) under any condition as it is planning to stage a sit-in at Islamabad's D-Chowk.
He accused Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, of masterminding the unrest in Islamabad that resulted in loss of life and property.
Speaking at a press conference during the ongoing PTI protests, Naqvi refrained from naming her directly but held her responsible for the chaos.
He announced that authorities had successfully cleared protesters from D-Chowk, pushing them back to surrounding areas, and emphasized that no negotiations would be held with the demonstrators.
Naqvi also accused the protesters of deliberately inciting violence, alleging their intent was to create casualties to provoke a reaction—a scenario the government had worked hard to prevent.
Despite the aggressive tactics employed by PTI supporters, Naqvi highlighted that the D-Chowk area was cleared without any fatalities.
Information Minister Atta Tarar, also present at the briefing, echoed Naqvi’s remarks and condemned both Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi for allegedly exploiting children as human shields and escalating violence.
Tarar displayed evidence, including marbles and shells reportedly used by protesters to attack law enforcement, to underline the severity of the situation.
He further alleged that the protests were organized with foreign assistance, pointing to the involvement of Afghan nationals, including a teenage boy and a daily wageworker from Swat.
Tarar accused Bushra Bibi of pressuring PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur to lead the protests and challenged her to involve her family members, including her sons, in the demonstrations. He questioned whether PTI was seeking an NRO or a deal, emphasizing that legal cases should be addressed in court.
Tarar described Bushra Bibi as someone encouraging bloodshed and claimed she was instrumental in driving the violent nature of the protests.
He warned that the government had successfully countered PTI’s actions and would not entertain further negotiations under the current circumstances.
Any attempt to escalate the protests, he stated, would be met with a resolute response from the state.
The firm government stance came in the wake of reports that three Rangers personnel were allegedly killed during the PTI protests. Both ministers reiterated that the state would not allow itself to be provoked into creating martyrs and would continue to defend itself against such actions.
