PESHAWAR: The coalition and opposition parties engaged in a bitter war of words on Sunday, a day after strict security measures thwarted the PTI’s plans to hold a protest in Rawalpindi, deepening the rift.
Alluding to action by the Punjab Police against Saturday’s PTI march participants, KP Prime Minister Ali Amin Gandapur declared that “revolution” is now the only solution to “state atrocities”.
However, Information Minister Ataullah Talal said Gandapur had made clear his intention to cause chaos like that on May 9 by announcing plans for an armed march to Islamabad and Punjab, responding to PTI’s protests. He defended the government’s response.
CM Gandapur, who is also the provincial governor of PTI, released a video message warning law enforcement agencies that “those who fire one bullet at PTI activists will get 10 bullets back.”
“Today, I officially announce the revolution because there is no other solution,” he said in a message to state agencies and the federal government. “Enough is enough,” he said, adding that they showed restraint because of the sanctity of the home.
The Chief Minister issued the message after a procession led by the Chief Minister was not allowed to participate in the PTI rally in Rawalpindi on Saturday.
The CM claimed that the Punjab Police fired numerous tear gas shells and bullets as the PTI workers entered Punjab through the Islamabad-Peshawar highway, leaving two PTI workers with bullet injuries and others. It added that 50 people were injured by tear gas shelling.
“In the future, if someone fires a bullet at us, they will also take a bullet in retaliation. If you fire one bullet, we will fire 10 bullets back.” he warned.
Similarly, he added, similar response would be given to any firing of tear gas or use of batons against PTI workers.
“People of KP listen. All the erstwhile Fata tribesmen are supporters of PTI. Let’s go to the tribal areas and hold jirgas and unite,” he said. He said his message was not a threat, but rather a warning to reform.
The commercial also called for political decisions to be made by politicians, not anyone else.
Tarar condemns the statement
Commenting on Gandapur’s warning, Tarar said the prime minister had made clear his intention to cause May 9-like chaos in the country by announcing plans for an armed march to Islamabad and Punjab. said.
In a statement, the minister condemned the CM’s remarks on the use of force, saying it amounted to his own admission that he had failed to govern the state effectively.
“The Prime Minister’s threat to fire bullets in case of bloodshed clearly shows that he is incapable of running the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.His threat to march into Islamabad and Punjab by force is nothing but an attempt to repeat May 9th.
Mr Tarar criticized the CM’s move from verbal abuse to threats of violence, warning that this approach only harms himself, not anyone else.
“There is absolutely no democratic, political or parliamentary element in the words, actions and deeds of Pakistan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf provincial government,” he added.
The information minister lamented that the PTI provincial leadership had never focused on competing with the Center and Punjab in areas such as education, healthcare, employment and economic improvement.
He stressed that if PTI wants to bring about a revolution, it must focus on transforming these sectors for the upliftment of the people.
“Corruption and incompetence are at their peak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The real competition should have been in providing relief to power consumers, as the PML-N-led government has done in Islamabad and Punjab.” he said, adding that it should have been about building hospitals and educational institutions to serve the masses.
Tarar accused the PTI of trying to disrupt the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in the same way it tried to disrupt President Xi Jinping’s visit to Pakistan with a sit-in in Islamabad in 2014.
He said economic stabilization had disrupted the PTI and put Pakistan on the brink of defaulting on its debts. The drastic drop in inflation from 32% to 9.6% literally irritated them, he added.
He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s support for the Palestinians and firm stand against Israel at the UN General Assembly had caused great trouble to Israeli operatives in Pakistan.
With input from APP
Published at Dawn on September 30, 2024