ISLAMABAD: While calling Shahbaz Gill’s comments on ARY News “outrageous,” Information Minis­ter Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday alleged that the script read out by Mr Gill was actually written by PTI chairman Imran Khan.

She addressed a press conference immediately after Mr Khan’s address in which he said that a conspiracy was afoot to “cut the PTI to size” and “pit the country’s largest political party against the army.”

“ARY News defied all journalistic requirements and aired it without any interruption,” the minister said while claiming that Mr Gill tried to incite a rebellion within the army and expressed disregard for those who lost their lives in the helicopter crash last week.

Ms Aurangzeb said that if there was anyone who was harming PTI, that was Mr Khan himself.

She added that Mr Khan was nervous because he had campaigned against the martyrs through his party’s social media trolls.

This information was revealed by those arrested by investigation agencies who were probing the malicious campaign against the martyrs following the crash, she claimed.

The social media trolls arrested by the agencies claimed that the campaign was launched at Mr Khan’s behest, she added.

She also claimed that ARY News has launched a campaign against the government “to sidetrack this issue”.

After damaging his own party and the country, Mr Khan was now trying to tarnish the reputation of the army, she said.

While referring to his address, Ms Aurangzeb said that fear and panic was visible on Mr Khan’s face as he repeatedly claimed that efforts were being made to place curbs on his party.

The minister said that Mr Khan’s entire politics was based on hatred, sedition, anarchy and hooliganism.

“This is the mentality of Imran Khan. He wants to set the country on fire and called for a rebellion within the army.”

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2022