Interior Ministry Claims PTI’s Violent Protest Involved Trained Militants, Denies Army Clash with Crowd

Islamabad: The Ministry of Interior has responded to accusations surrounding the violent protests organized by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), stating that former minister Murad Saeed was leading a group of over 1,500 trained militants and illegal Afghan nationals who engaged in violent acts during the demonstration. According to the ministry’s official statement, the Pakistan Army did not directly clash with the protesters, nor was it deployed for riot control.
The Ministry clarified that the violent protests involved a group of trained militants, under the command of the fugitive Murad Saeed, who attacked law enforcement officers using militant tactics. This group, the ministry claimed, also dismantled roadblocks set by the provincial authorities, paving the way for other hostile elements to join the protest.
The statement accused PTI of launching a well-organized propaganda campaign on social media, falsely attributing the deaths during the protests to law enforcement agencies. It was also revealed that major hospitals in the capital had denied reports of fatalities. The ministry also criticized the use of fabricated videos and AI-generated clips by PTI to spread misinformation, noting that some foreign media outlets had fallen victim to this disinformation.
The Ministry of Interior further stated that PTI’s social media campaign was promoting division and unrest, both within Pakistan and internationally. It vowed that elements involved in spreading this disinformation would be held accountable under relevant laws. The statement also pointed out that the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had used the provincial assembly to issue inflammatory remarks against state institutions.
The ministry emphasized that despite the Islamabad High Court’s directive on November 21 to maintain peace at all costs, PTI insisted on continuing its protests. Despite being offered multiple alternatives to delay their protests, PTI violated court orders and marched to Islamabad’s Red Zone, an area designated as a high-security zone.
According to the statement, during the march from Peshawar to the Red Zone, protesters attacked law enforcement personnel and used various weapons, including steel slingshots, stun grenades, tear gas shells, and wooden sticks with nails. It was also reported that provincial resources were used to support the violent protests.
Law enforcement officials, the Ministry said, showed great restraint despite the violence. Several security personnel, including three Rangers, were martyred, and 232 officers were injured during the clashes. Protesters also set fire to police vehicles.
The Ministry further clarified that Pakistan Army troops were deployed in Islamabad under Article 245 of the Constitution to protect critical infrastructure and ensure the safety of foreign diplomats and visiting delegations. However, the Army was not involved in directly confronting the protesters or handling riot control.
The statement concluded by revealing that during the violent protests, 18 automatic weapons and 39 other deadly weapons were seized from the protesters. Over 30 foreign mercenaries were arrested, and damages to law enforcement vehicles and infrastructure were estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of rupees. The economic loss due to the unrest is estimated to be around 192 billion rupees per day.
The Ministry emphasized that the majority of Pakistan’s population, including the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, rejected violent politics and disinformation campaigns, affirming that the nation stands united for peace and stability.