Information Minister Ataullah Tarar has disclosed that the government reached out to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to cancel PTI’s August 22 rally, which Imran Khan’s party called off at the eleventh hour due to ‘fear of unrest’.

“Gandapur had conveyed the message further and many PTI supporters heeded the government’s suggestion,” Tarar said at a press conference in Lahore on Saturday.

The PTI postponed its Islamabad rally on Thursday, citing the government’s “conspiracy to spread chaos”. The party changed its plans at the eleventh hour, prompting ire from supporters and some party leaders.

The Islamabad district administration announced a holiday in government and private schools on Thursday, sealing the Red Zone, after the party decided to stage a rally despite not giving the NOC. Metro bus service in the twin cities had also been suspended.

Earlier this week, Khan told reporters that he postponed the rally due to concerns over potential unrest.

At the presser, the information minister accused the PTI of engaging in a “politics of damage” to the country and a “politics of hatred” that was allegedly manifesting in the party’s division.

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Tarar further claimed that the rhetoric propagated by the party was based on falsehoods. He stated that former first lady Bushra Bibi had fabricated the “narrative,” which was later refuted by Aleema Khan, who declared the alleged statement to be false.

While speaking about Imran Khan, the minister asserted that there was no direct contact between the PTI chief and the establishment and the latter had “no involvement in the matter.”