Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry has claimed that the PTI had low attendance from Punjab at the rally in Islamabad’s Sangjani because the provincial government barred the party’s cavalcade.
“There are no restrictions on the convoys coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but those coming from Punjab are being stopped and subjected to violence,” he said while appearing on Aaj News’ show Rubaroo on Sunday.
A large number of PTI supporters gathered for the rally in the federal capital amid tight security.
Strict security measures have been implemented, with 29 locations in the city sealed off and various entry and exit routes blocked with containers.
Mobile phone and internet services have been shut down for security at the rally site, causing difficulties for citizens due to the suspension of the Metro Bus service. Reports indicate that explosive materials have also been recovered from the venue.
Reports said that supporters of PTI clashed with the Islamabad police as the deadline for the PTI rally expired.
Chaudhry accused the incumbent government of wanting to prevent “normal politics” from resuming in Pakistan. He claimed that if normal politics were to return, the government’s legal standing would be threatened and added that the Punjab government aims to “suppress political activity” in the province.
The former PTI leader went on to add that MNAs from Punjab were not allowed to take the lead, mentioning that figures like Hamad Azhar and Mian Aslam Iqbal were restricted from leading efforts. “These issues are specific to Punjab and are not present in Sindh.”
He added that everyone should respond if Imran Khan calls and claimed that he “remains with PTI because it is a national party and supporting it is essential.”
Chaudhry said: “Due to the establishment’s poor decisions, Punjabis are paying the price in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.”
At the conclusion of the rally, Chaudhry denied any plans for a sit-in protest.
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In response to a question, he claimed that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal were pursuing a specific agenda aimed at avoiding tensions in Pakistan. He alleged that PML-N President Nawaz Sharif shares this agenda, as evidenced by his instructions to Rana Sanaullah to issue conciliatory statements while simultaneously allowing Asif and Iqbal to make contrasting remarks. He indicated that such an approach was “being promoted as a political strategy.”
When asked about the potential military trial of Imran Khan, Chaudhry warned that it could generate significant international pressure, stating: “Pakistan cannot bear this adventure; our IMF program is hanging by a thread.”
On negotiations with the Afghan Taliban in the PTI tenure, he stated that the cabinet takes full responsibility for initiating talks and clarified that it was not “solely former Inter-Services Intelligence director general Faiz Hamid’s decision but a decision of the Government of Pakistan, which had the full backing of the military as an institution.”
