Tarar warns PTI against march on Islamabad

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) never stages peaceful protests, asserting that peaceful citizens do not leave their homes carrying spiked sticks. He declared that such groups will not be allowed to enter Islamabad. Addressing party workers and speaking to the media in Kohat, Tarar said the city's atmosphere was one of mourning following the recent incident. Tarar questioned the whereabouts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi during the Kohat incident, alleging that the provincial chief executive was busy scoring political points on the streets of Lahore. "He has time for the politics of chaos but none for the people of his own province. He circled over the area in a helicopter for 15 minutes and left. What has he done for education, health and public welfare?" the minister asked. He accused the PTI-led provincial government of knowing only how to post on social media, pointing out the absence of even a forensic laboratory for police facilities. Contracts, he claimed, were awarded to favourites while kickbacks were collected, and new records of corruption were being set in the province. Tarar made it clear that no one would be permitted to shut down Islamabad and that armed groups would not be allowed to advance towards the federal capital.