LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has condemned the actions of “Tehreek-e-Fasad”, accusing the group of martyring police official Mubashir and severely injuring 70 others.
She stated, that “Bushra Bibi, this is not a jungle where you can act like a ‘Sultana Daku’ to free your husband.”
Azma said Bushra Bibi was inciting Pashtuns to attack the state, leading armed mobs, and adding a religious veneer to their aggression with chants of “Allah-ho- Akbar.” She criticized Bushra for posing as a guardian of Islamic values while lacking even basic knowledge, such as properly reciting “Durood Sharif”. Bokhari asserted that PTI and its armed factions are seeking casualties to advance their disruptive political agenda.
Speaking at a press conference at the DGPR, Azma Bokhari said, “Life is continuing as normal across Punjab. Not even a bird has stirred here. Commercial and social activities remain uninterrupted in the province Punjab.”
Bokhari condemned the continued violence by “Tehreek-e-Fasad” on the second day of unrest, which included torching police vehicles and attacking officers. These attacks led to the martyrdom of police official Mubashir and severe injuries to 70 others, including constable Wajid, who was shot in the neck and legs. A Frontier Corps officer was also shot in the leg. She highlighted a tweet by a PTI-affiliated poet that mentioned the martyrdom of police officers and the capturing of seven others.
She alleged that Gandapur requested 1,500 plain-clothed police officers, a tactic she described as provocative. Bokhari remarked I do not believe the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would resort to violence or harm anyone; this behaviour is characteristic of the Taliban and PTI.
She argued that PTI seeks to provoke the state into using force against them, while knowing the state would never do so. “If even one of their members gets a scratch, they create an uproar domestically and internationally,” she said.
Expressing concern for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Bokhari lamented their suffering under such leadership. She noted the stark contrast between the crowds Gandapur attracts and the lack of support for Bushra Bibi. She also criticized the silence of leaders like Aleema Khan, who have disappeared from public view.
She questioned why the children of these leaders—such as Ibrahim, Qasim, Suleman, and Tyrian—do not join the protests. When they face harm themselves, only then would they and others begin to remember basic rights, she remarked.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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