ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Friday dismissed the narrative of the opposition alliance as ‘a pack of lies’.

In a swift and sharp reaction to the joint press conference of the opposition alliance under the banner of Tehreek-i-Tahafuze Pakistan, the information minister said their narrative had nothing to do with reality, “absolutely based on lies, deceit and fraud”.

He said those people who were betting on the country’s default were stunned by the “economic milestones” achieved by Pakistan under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The current account surplus, the incre­ase in foreign exchange reserves, and a decrease in inflation and petrol prices are the major cause of their frustration, he said, adding the opposition is wary of the Foreign Direct Investment in the country.

Minister alleges party has a history of siding with powers hostile to Pakistan

He also noted the daily rise in the stock market, which reflects investors’ confidence in the economy.

“They are doing criticism just for the sake of criticism,” he said, highlighting that there was a pattern of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) actions aimed at undermining the success of the country.

Citing the upcoming visit of the Iran­ian President to Pakistan as a major milestone in Pakistan’s foreign policy, the minister said their press conference was aimed at sabotaging the high-level visit.

The PTI had a history of always siding with those who were hostile to Pakistan, he stressed.

Rejecting the allegation about an ongoing crackdown against opposition parties, Mr Tarar said the trials of May 9 riots were conducted on merit and supported by “concrete evidence”.

The videos showing ransacking and vandalising of state installations and memorials of martyrs by the PTI goons were all on the record, he added.

The opposition’s outcry on this matter was baseless, as they had no real answer for their actions on May 9, he said.

“They have no policy, just a worn-out narrative,” he said, adding the opposition is trying all-out to deceive the nation.

While directly addressing Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, who read out a joint declaration of the opposition alliance after their multiparty conference, the minister asked the leader to disclose his assets and explain how his family business grew over the years.

Mr Tarar also presented a contrast of the current government’s foreign policy successes with the PTI’s tenure that he said had left Pakistan isolated with poor relations with every other country.

Published in Dawn, Aug 2nd, 2025