PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari assailed the PTI-run Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday for its “harsh police response” to a protest by PPP workers and supporters in Peshawar against corruption, calling out the administration’s “cowardice”.

PPP protesters on Monday staged a protest in Peshawar against corruption in the province. In a statement posted on X, the party alleged that the protesters faced shelling and violence at the hands of the police.

In response to the situation, Bilawal took to X and posted a statement calling out the KP government, stating that they had “demonstrated cowardice” by attacking unarmed party workers.

PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwala also condemned the alleged incident in the statement. He was quoted as saying, “The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government tried to cover up its failures by suppressing public protests with force.”

He added, “Shelling and violence against peaceful activists shows the government’s desperation.

“PPP workers are certainly unarmed and peaceful, but they are not helpless. Every attempt to suppress our voice will fail.”

Last week, PPP expressed serious concern about the reports of massive corruption in KP and announced to hold a protest rally against the provincial government on May 26.

The party’s provincial president Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha had also accused the PTI government of widespread corruption and administrative collapse in the province.

PTI protest fails due to low attendance

Separately, PTI provincial president and MNA Junaid Akbar Khan expressed anger over the “failure” of the party’s protest in Peshawar.

The protest was staged against drone strikes in the tribal districts of KP, the party wrote on X.

However, it ended shortly due to the low attendance of party workers, MNAs and MPAs.

No MPAs from Nowshera and Mohmand districts participated in the protest. Only MPA Arif Ahmad Zai from Charsadda attended the protest.

The provincial president was also angry when the workers and supporters did not come out in large numbers.

Due to a low number of protesters, Akbar left without making a speech.

Earlier this month, Akbar handed over his resignation as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to the party. The development came after PTI founding chairman Imran Khan had directed Akbar to resign from the position and focus on provincial matters.