Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi Tuesday said that “secret leadership” of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was controlling everything, leaving other party leaders “powerless”.
Speaking to media as PTI convoys continue to advance towards D-Chowk after violent overnight clashes, the interior minister said that party leaders did not want bloodshed but they were powerless in front of a “secret leadership” that actually had control over the party.
“Even the PTI leadership does not want bloodshed, but the secret leadership’s agenda is not aligned with Pakistan,” Mohsin Naqvi said, adding that a “hidden hand” was involved in the unrest.
“The PTI leadership wanted to engage in dialogue, but the secret leadership did not want it,” he said.
When asked about the number of participants in PTI’s protest rally, the interior minister said that it was difficult to give an exact figure; however, “2,000 of the total number of protesters were trained individuals”.
The interior minister’s presser comes as PTI refuses to participate in talks with the government and protest at D-Chowk till party founder and former prime minister (PM) Imran Khan is released from jail. Violent clashes over the past two days have resulted in injuries to hundreds of protesters and cops alike. At least four Rangers personnel and two cops were also martyred in the clashes Monday night.
Meanwhile, a case against PTI leadership has been registered at a Rawalpindi police station over the death of a police constable near Hakla Interchange.
According to a First Information Report (FIR) filed at Taxila Police Station, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Ali Amin Gandapur, Salar Khan Kakar, Shahid Khattak and others were nominated.
Assaulters, armed with tear gas guns, rubber bullet guns and other weapons violated Section 144 and initiated violent attacks on police officers, the FIR read.
It further stated that the attack was a “deliberate criminal conspiracy orchestrated by the PTI leadership”.
“Suspects abducted Constable Mubashir Hassan in a red van and later dumped him off Hakla Bridge before fleeing,” the FIR added.