The Ministry of Interior has issued a statement condemning the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s social media campaign, alleging it is inciting unrest and spreading disinformation within and outside Pakistan. The ministry stated that those involved will be held accountable under relevant laws.

The statement further alleges that PTI protestors were responsible for the deaths of one police officer and three Rangers personnel, and that approximately 1500 trained protestors, directly under the command of the ‘fugitive’ Murad Saeed, participated in the violent protests. The ministry accuses the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of fully utilizing its resources in these violent protests and violating court orders.

The press release details that the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa used the provincial assembly to make unfounded and inflammatory statements against state institutions. It cites an Islamabad High Court order from November 21st directing the federal government to maintain peace and order at all costs, and instructing the Interior Minister to contact PTI leadership regarding the situation.

The ministry alleged that the violent protests involved trained protestors and illegal Afghan nationals, all operating under the fugitive Murad Saeed, who was present at the scene. This group, the statement claims, employed militant tactics in attacking law enforcement officials.

The ministry clarifies that police and Rangers did not use live ammunition to disperse the violent crowd, and that the Pakistan Army was neither directly involved nor deployed for riot control. It states that the armed guards accompanying the leadership, along with armed protestors, engaged in indiscriminate firing during the dispersal operation.

The ministry accuses the PTI leadership of fleeing the scene instead of attempting to control the situation. It notes that following the protestors’ escape from the area, the federal ministers of interior and information visited the affected area and held a press conference. The ministry accuses the PTI of launching a coordinated social media campaign to falsely blame law enforcement agencies for casualties, a claim refuted by major hospitals in the federal capital.

The ministry further alleges the campaign utilizes old and AI-generated fake videos and clips, and expresses concern that some elements of the foreign media have fallen prey to this disinformation.