Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, the spokesperson for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, strongly refuted Sunday’s claims that PTI leader Murad Saeed was hiding in the CM House in Peshawar.
Ali Saif, while talking to Geo News’ “Naya Pakistan,” Barrister Saif challenged the central government’s assertions, questioning, “If they had seen Murad Saeed, why didn’t they arrest him?” He expressed scepticism about Saeed’s presence during the Islamabad protest.
Barrister Saif countered allegations that PTI protesters were armed, insisting they were unarmed and accusing law enforcement of directly firing at them, thereby misleading the public about the events. He emphasized that the PTI founder had sanctioned a peaceful protest in Islamabad’s Sangjani area.
These comments came after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar alleged that Saeed, who had been evading capture since the May 9 riots, led armed supporters during the protest. Tarar claimed that authorities recovered weapons from arrested protesters and showed video evidence suggesting that PTI protesters had used firearms against law enforcement.
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Tarar refuted allegations of law enforcement using live ammunition, inviting the PTI to produce evidence to the contrary. He condemned the PTI’s tactics, accusing them of employing professional criminals and foreign nationals to incite violence.
Despite the Islamabad High Court’s prohibition against the PTI’s “do-or-die” protest, which breached the peaceful assembly law, the demonstration proceeded, leading to severe clashes. Security forces suffered casualties, with five officers martyred. At the same time, the PTI reported twelve fatalities among its ranks.
The Ministry of Interior maintained that no law enforcement personnel used live ammunition and highlighted efforts to discredit the PTI’s portrayal of events as manipulative, aiming to distract from their political setbacks.
Both PIMS and Poly Clinic have officially denied any gunshot-related fatalities, undermining claims of lethal force used against protesters. Tarar criticized the PTI’s history of organizing protests coinciding with international visits, suggesting a pattern of disruption aimed at undermining state security and economic stability.
He concluded by asserting the government’s commitment to upholding law and order and the public’s safety, rejecting any actions that compromised peace and national interests.
