ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Talal Chaudhry has accused Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of planning unrest, saying statements by PTI leader Junaid Akbar indicate what the party intends to do, ARY News reported.
Talal Chaudhry said such statements are not made for peaceful protests, adding that other political parties also hold protests while remaining within the bounds of the law.
Referring to Junaid Akbar’s statement, the interior minister said it showed that “these people” want to create anarchy in the state.
He said that on May 9, processions emerged from their homes and they later claimed they had done nothing.
Talal Chaudhry further alleged that protesters came armed on November 26, ran over security personnel and then claimed that they were peaceful.
He said the state would deal with such “misguided and disruptive” elements, adding that groups of this kind had existed in the past but no longer exist.
The interior minister said comprehensive security arrangements had been made in Islamabad and that he had been briefed about them.
He said it was the state’s responsibility to protect the lives and property of citizens.
“Islamabad is the capital of the country and we will protect it with full capacity,” Talal Chaudhry said.
He added that those coming with such a mindset would certainly arrive but “will not leave”.
Talking about fuel prices, Talal Chaudhry said petrol and diesel prices could neither be reduced nor increased through rallies and processions.
He said Jamaat-e-Islami knows that the government can reduce prices if fiscal space is available.
“We hope Jamaat-e-Islami will consider that prices cannot be reduced through a rally,” he said.
Talal Chaudhry said there were sensible and respectable people in Jamaat-e-Islami and expressed hope that they would understand the government’s position.
