Ministers feast on PTI’s ‘flop show’

LAHORE:

Despite the tall claims made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party’s lacklustre rally in Lahore has provided ample fodder for government ministers, who were quick to ridicule PTI’s political strength.
Mocking the rally as a “flop show”, they pointed out that fewer than 3,000 people attended, undermining PTI’s expectations of a grand power display.
Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage, and Culture, Attaullah Tarar, ridiculed the opposition party, claiming that after the underwhelming turnout, the PTI wouldn’t dare to hold another public gathering anywhere in the country.
Speaking to the media, Tarar highlighted PTI’s failure to mobilise its workers despite full cooperation from the authorities, who kept roads open and provided foolproof security at the designated venue.
“There were no obstacles placed in any city, whether Islamabad, Attock, or Mianwali, from where PTI summoned its workers,” Tarar said.
He stressed that the PTI leadership and workers were given free access to enter Lahore, yet they could not attract a sizable crowd. Similarly, he pointed out, their rally in Islamabad also saw a disappointingly small turnout.
Challenging the PTI, Tarar urged the party leadership to release drone footage of the Lahore rally, asserting that the poor attendance exposed PTI’s dwindling popularity.
He claimed this was proof that the people of Pakistan had rejected PTI and were placing their trust in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who are making major strides in delivering relief to the masses.
The minister remarked that the people of Pakistan knew that inflation had been brought down to a single digit, which had previously risen to double digits during the PTI’s tenure, having been just four per cent under Nawaz Sharif’s leadership.
He also recalled letters written by PTI leadership to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), aimed at derailing the bailout package and pushing the country towards default.
According to him, all of PTI’s efforts, from public gatherings to press conferences, were centred on securing the release of their founder from jail—a move he equated with seeking an NRO-like relief.
He said due process would be followed in PTI founder’s cases, including the May 9 events.
He further criticised the PTI leadership for being disconnected from their own narrative, resorting instead to abusive language and hollow threats.
Meanwhile, he commended Punjab for maintaining its tradition of hospitality by providing security and a venue for what he called a “flop show”.
In the same breath, Punjab ministers seized the opportunity to criticise PTI’s failed show of strength, stating that the people of Pakistan had rejected PTI by boycotting its Lahore rally.
In a joint press conference, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari, Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir, and Law Minister Sohaib Barath declared that PTI’s inability to attract a large crowd in Lahore was evidence of the party’s diminishing influence.
Azma Bukhari highlighted that the Punjab government ensured all roads, including key entry points like Shahdara, Thokar Niaz Baig, and the Ring Road, remained open.
She claimed that fewer than 3,000 people attended the rally from across the country, showing public disinterest in PTI’s politics.
She further accused PTI of misusing resources from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for its political activities in Punjab and criticised K-P Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for focusing on rallies instead of serving the public.
Bukhari alleged that the PTI-led government in K-P had neglected its citizens’ needs, wasting resources on political theatrics.
She thanked the people of Punjab and Lahore for rejecting PTI’s “agenda of unrest” and supporting the current government’s performance.
Addressing PTI’s founder, Bukhari claimed he was seeking an NRO through his rallies, particularly regarding the 190 million pound and Toshakhana cases.
She also refuted PTI’s allegations that the government obstructed the rally, noting that containers used by PTI had gotten stuck under bridges due to mismanagement.
Breaking down the attendance, Azma mentioned that Lahore contributed 1,500 attendees, with smaller groups from other cities such as 298 from Sheikhupura, 140 from Rawalpindi, and fewer than 150 from Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, and other regions.
Health Minister Khawaja Imran Nazir echoed similar sentiments, stating that people had recognised PTI’s negative politics. Law Minister Sohaib Barath took aim at PTI leaders for utilising PML-N infrastructure, such as the motorway, while failing to provide for their own constituencies.
He emphasised that the public would no longer be fooled by empty slogans and called on PTI to deliver tangible results for its governance.
The ministers concluded by asserting that PTI’s sole agenda was to destabilise the country, whereas the PML-N remained focused on progress and public welfare.
A separate reporter’s account painted a contrasting picture, highlighting that PTI workers had braved multiple obstacles imposed by the Punjab government, including road blockages and the threat of mass arrests, to reach the rally venue.
The Punjab government, meanwhile, vehemently denied these allegations, claiming that PTI’s talk of roadblocks was an excuse for their poor performance.
To further insult public intelligence, PML-N leaders and their media team posted videos of the rally, ridiculing PTI’s declining popularity. The information minister even claimed that the chief minister had ordered all roads to remain open.
Despite the government’s claims, measures included intermittent blockages at the city’s entry points, the placing of containers on Ring Road and Shahdrah —the two main routes to the venue — and internet disruptions, which prevented the transmission of rally videos and photos.
Additionally, police checkpoints were reportedly set up on all main roads, seemingly to harass PTI workers.
The rally faced further difficulties when PTI was denied permission to hold it at their chosen venue, with a new location on the outskirts of the city being assigned just hours before the event by the DC Lahore.
To complicate matters even more, the permission for the rally was restricted to just three hours, from 3 to 6 pm—a constraint imposed solely on PTI by the PML-N government, something unprecedented in the past.