PTI leaders courting arrests to avoid participation in so-called final call: Tarar

ISLAMABAD, Nov 24 :Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar on Sunday said most of the leaders and workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are courting their arrests to avoid their participation in an “illegal and unnecessary” protest.

“One thing is pretty clear that the PTI’s leadership does not want a release of their leader from the jail as we have received information from Punjab and Islamabad that most of their top and low tiers’ leaders are voluntarily surrendering to the police for their arrest,” said the minister while talking to the media during his visit to different areas in Islamabad.

“This shows their so-called level of commitment with their party and the leader,” he said while pointing out the inside rift among the party leadership especially between the wife of the PTI founder Bushra Bibi and Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur earlier in the day.

He said the PTI had only one demand which was to get an NRO-like concession for the release of their leader from the jail, but the government cannot do anything in this regard. This is the domain of the courts where the PTI is supposed to argue and fight for the release of their leader who has been facing different charges, he added.

Tarar said the PTI had a track record of creating chaos and anarchy, and vandalizing public properties, citing the sit-in of 2014 when their workers torched the Parliament and injured many policemen including SSP Asmat ullah Junejo.

He categorically said that nobody would be allowed to disrupt the economic progress achieved in the last eight months which witnessed a substantial increase in remittances that jumped to $8.8 billion in the first quarter.

The interest rate has been reduced to 15 per cent and KIBOR stood at 13 per cent and inflation is down to 6.9 per cent from 32 per cent, he said while warning the PTI of strict action if it tried to derail the economy.

The minister said a high-level official and business delegation is arriving in Islamabad from Belarus to invest in the national economy, while its President will also be in Islamabad the day after tomorrow.

A warm welcome would be accorded to the Belarus Delegation on their arrival in Islamabad, he remarked.

Nobody will be allowed to challenge the writ of the state, he said, adding there is a full deployment of police in Islamabad that is ready to arrest if anybody dares to enter Islamabad for disturbing the law and order.

“Life in Islamabad is normal as people are taking strolls in parks and children are playing various sports at different places, but some major highways have been closed to maintain law and order in the city,” he noted.

He held the PTI responsible for the roads’ closure and inflicting financial damage to traders and businessmen. The PTI did not only want to derail the economy, but also hell-bent on damaging the foreign relations of Pakistan with the friendly countries.

He said the PTI had orchestrated the May 9 arson and vandalized the sensitive installations and memorials of martyrs, just to create chaos and anarchy. This party has again resorted to similar tactics just to achieve their ulterior motives.

“Our responsibility is to ensure security in Islamabad,” he said, adding the miscreants would be