• Marriyum warns govt to act against anyone harming Pakistan ‘in name of freedom of expression’
• Tallal says PTI’s ‘unjustified criticism’ forced army to respond

LAHORE: PML-N ministers, both in the Centre and in Punjab, on Monday continued to target PTI and its founder, with provincial senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb warned that the government would not allow anyone to harm the country in the name of freedom of expression.

“The government will take action against enemies of the state, as the Constitution clearly specifies the punishment for anti-state activities. Whoever crosses this line will face the music according to the law,” she told a press conference here on Monday.

Lashing out at PTI chief Imran Khan, who has been in jail for the last two years or so, the minister said his arrogance and irrational behaviour were nothing new, as he had previously used vulgar and abusive language against his opponents. He never distanced himself from his inappropriate remarks, she added.

She said more than 300 military installations were attacked on May 9, 2023. “The Constitution clearly outlines the punishment for acting against national security and stability. Forming a nexus with enemies of the state and working against the country cannot be called freedom of expression. Only a psychiatrist can negotiate with someone who is mentally unstable. If one tries to explain something to Imran Khan, he responds with abuse,” she said.

Ms Aurangzeb questioned why the institutions were attacked and why attempts were made to make the army chief controversial. “This is a matter of Pakistan’s defence, security and stability. Martyrs’ monuments were toppled and kicked. A person who sows discord in the federation is called a traitor. Such elements will be dealt with like enemies of the state. There should be a limit… enough is enough,” she declared, adding that Mr Khan could no longer be allowed to attack national security.

Criticising Khan’s sisters, the senior minister said they had “appeared on Indian media to malign Pakistan… and no one will be allowed to do that.” She said Khan was in jail because of his own actions. “There can be only one May 9 in the country’s history, and that cannot happen again,” she said, adding that Khan was in pain after seeing the nation’s trust restored in the armed forces. “The public now knows his reality.”

She said the PTI founder was advancing the Indian agenda, as his statements were harming the country. “He is arrested because he damaged Pakistan,” she added.

‘PTI’s “unjustified” criticism’

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said on Monday that the PTI’s “unjustified” criticism of the army had pushed the institution to respond.

The state minister warned that those raising their voice against Pak­istan, its institutions and their heads would now be silenced. In remarks aired on the media, he also accused the opposition party of repeatedly criticising the army and its leadership for its own political gains.

Referring to arguments by the PTI that the army should not interfere in politics, Mr Chaudhry said, “The army is not intervening in politics. You, in order to further your own politics or to come into power by riding on someone else’s shoulders, repeatedly try to drag the army and its head into politics.

“You direct unjustified and unnecessary criticism [at them]. You level allegations without any reason,” he said. He said the army had been serving the country and recalled that it defeated a “big power in the world” recently — an apparent reference to the conflict between Pakistan and India in May.

The state minister further said that the army took pride in its martyrs, victories and in protecting Pakistan, “and you criticise it and its head for no reason”.

“For how long will the institution remain silent? Eventually, it had to respond. The PTI pushed them to respond,” he added.

“The army and its head showed patience and overlooked [the criticism] for a very long time. But every other day, the PTI founder in his tweets and messages, and others in press conferences after meeting Imran, would make unjustified accusations and criticise.”

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2025