Gandapur using KP resources to attack Punjab: Azma

LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has accused Ghandapur of using KPK’s resources to attack Punjab, saying that if he had not been allowed to enter the province, he wouldn’t have even crossed the Attock Bridge.

“Pervez Khattak also tried to reach Islamabad but couldn’t even get near the Attock Bridge,” she said. She alleged that the PTI’s ‘terrorist group’ has taught young people to make petrol bombs, and sabotage the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference by creating unrest.

She expressed these views during a media briefing at the DGPR’s Office. She described the PTI’s rallies, referring to them as the ‘Tanga Party,’ as being filled with conspiracies, abuse, and incitement to riots. “We will not tolerate any derogatory remarks against Pakistan or its institutions during protests,” she asserted, adding, “they repeatedly claim to be peaceful, but everyone has witnessed their version of peace.”

Bokhari also criticised the KP chief minister, calling him the mastermind behind the riots, while pointing out that attacks on police officers continue in his province.

In Kurram, she said, tribal conflicts have led to the deaths of five more people, bringing the total fatalities to 46. She questioned how a chief minister could enter another province with an AK-47, asking, “Does any political party hold rallies while armed?”

She praised the Punjab chief minister for generously allowing the disruptive group to hold their rally. In response to a question, she warned that if these people picked up guns, they would be treated like terrorists.

Referring to PTI’s planned celebration of Imran Khan’s birthday, Bokhari suggested they cut the cake outside Adiala Jail instead of Minar-e-Pakistan.

Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir said that the country has two factions: one focused on national development and the other —like the PTI— whose sole aim is to cause chaos and unrest. “This disruptive group wants to sacrifice Punjab’s progress for its ego,” he said. “They question us about roads, motorways, hospitals, and air ambulances. Is development a crime?” He also criticised the misuse of KP resources for protests and rallies over the past 15 years, asking why no one has held them accountable.