LAHORE: The Punjab government says it will deal with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Nov 24 protest with an iron hand.

“The PTI supporters are coming to wage jihad against the state. We know well how to deal with them. If they have plans A, B, and C, the state has plans A to Z against them,” Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari told reporters on Wednesday.

She said for Nov 24, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur had given Rs400,000 to each of the party MNAs and MPAs. She said Rs81 crore (Rs810 million) were spent on the PTI rally brought to Islamabad earlier.

She questioned whether any court or institution would ask them where the money spent on protests and rallies came from. Azma Bokhari also criticised the Peshawar High Court for helping protect terror suspects. “The funds that should be spent on the welfare of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are being used for their protests.”

Marriyum says PTI agitation hindering progress

She urged the courts not to make the law so lenient.

In a separate press conference Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb criticised the PTI, stating that its past and present actions demonstrated opposition to the country’s progress. “In 2014, when Pakistan was on a path of development, the PTI disrupted progress by staging protests in D-Chowk. Today, they continue to hinder the country’s progress with sham activities,” she said.

The senior minister said inflation had decreased to single digit and numerous development projects were launched. “Why is the PTI agitating? Is it a protest against decreasing inflation and national stability?”

The minister dismissed PTI’s planned protest on Nov 24 as “frivolous,” likening it to a domestic squabble. She criticised PTI’s attempts to incite unrest and declared its leader a convicted person. “This is not jihad. It is sheer mischief. True jihad serves the integrity and development of the nation.”

Ms Aurangzeb also pointed out that no PTI representative had raised any substantial issues in the Parliament and condemned their actions as a waste of the nation’s time and resources. She urged the PTI to resolve its internal matters privately and contribute to national progress.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2024