Tarar condemns Gandapur's statement on 'armed protest'

In a strong rebuttal to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar condemned the chief minister's call for armed protests.

Reacting to Gandapur's controversial remarks, Tarar criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), accusing the party of resorting to violent tactics. “Armed protest demonstrations, often involving illegal Afghan immigrants, have become a hallmark of the PTI,” the minister remarked on Saturday.

Referring to past incidents, the 38-year-old PML-N leader emphasized that PTI’s demonstrations have never been peaceful. “They previously marched on the federal capital with armed groups, creating chaos and instability,” he added.

The condemnation followed Gandapur's statement earlier in Abbottabad, where the KP chief minister urged PTI founder Imran Khan to abandon his stance on peace, warning that next time party workers would take to the streets armed. “Imran Khan! For God’s sake, stop advocating for peace. Next time, we will not talk about peace. When we come out with weapons, we will prove who runs away,” Gandapur declared.

In response, Tarar accused Gandapur’s security guard of violence, alleging eyewitnesses had seen him opening fire. He further claimed that PTI’s intent was to “play politics over dead bodies.”

The minister also recalled the May 9 and November 26 protests, describing them as “dark chapters” in Pakistan’s history. He argued that the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already rejected PTI’s approach, predicting the same outcome for any future protest calls. “The masses have turned their backs on PTI and will continue to reject their divisive agenda,” Tarar asserted.

Meanwhile, Gandapur had earlier accused the PML-N-led coalition government of fascism, claiming that PTI was fighting against “a regime that has trampled the Constitution, law, morality, and humanity.”