ISLAMABAD: Conde­mning the use of force against Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters in Muridke, the opposition PTI has called for the immediate resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

The PTI said the gover­n­­ment could not carry out a transparent probe into the massacre, hence independent observers and hu­­man rights organisations must be included to ensu­­re a fair investigation.

In a statement, PTI Central Information Sec­r­etary Sheikh Waqqas Akram condemned the alleged killings of TLP marchers and demanded that all those responsible for the carnage be held accountable and brought to justice without delay.

Had the perpetrators of the Model Town massacre been punished, he said, the Muridke tragedy would never have occurred.

Where is the prime minister of the country, the chief minister of Punjab, and the information minister who, under normal circumstances, holds press conferences every few hours against opponents, he asked, saying that they had now gone completely silent. He lamented that the TLP leadership repeatedly sought dialogue until the very last moment.

“Had meaningful dialogue been initiated before the protests began, a peaceful solution could certainly have been found.”

Mr Akram called for immediate medical assistance for the injured, along with compensation for the families of those who lost their lives. He also called for an independent, tra­nsparent, and judicial inquiry into the incident to en­­sure that all those responsible are identified and face exemplary punishment.

He demanded that the State cannot do transparent probe into the massacre, hence independent observers and human rights organisations must be included in the investigation process to ensure fair investigation of the incident.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2025