Pakistani Government Accuses PTI of Inciting Violence During Peace March

The Pakistan government accused Imran Khan’s PTI party of orchestrating violence during a peace march in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, resulting in one death. Information Minister Atta Tarar criticized PTI for promoting violence and claimed the party's actions are part of their destabilizing agenda.

The Pakistan government on Sunday accused jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of orchestrating violence during a peace march over the weekend in a major town of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, resulting in one death.

Information Minister Atta Tarar addressed a press conference to criticize the eruption of violence during a march in Bannu by traders and local elders, which aimed to press for peace after militants attacked an army facility. The attack had led to a bloody clash, resulting in the death of eight soldiers and ten militants.

“The PTI has a history of violent politics. They seek casualties to blame on security forces, acting more like a terrorist organization than a political party. I call them TTP-PTI,” Tarar said during the press conference, referring to the banned terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

According to Tarar, PTI elements infiltrated the traders’ peace march in Bannu, instigating chaos and firing near the attack site. One person died, and 22 were injured. He also claimed that creating instability in the country is part of PTI’s manifesto, citing the 2014 attack on the Pakistan Television building in Islamabad as an example.

In the wake of rising tensions, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government announced it intends to ban PTI and pursue legal proceedings against Khan and former president Arif Alvi under charges of treason. A fresh crackdown resulted in the arrest of four senior members of PTI’s media team.