PTI outsourcing terrorists to create unrest on November 30: Pervaiz Rashid

Information minister says Imran Khan incited violence and went on to show clips of the PTI chief's speeches

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid claimed on Sunday that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has started outsourcing terrorists to create unrest ahead of its November 30 rally in Islamabad.

Addressing a press conference at the PID office, Rashid said PTI chairman Imran Khan is determined to incite violence on November 30, and in this regard, contacts have been made with terrorists groups.

The minister added that the PTI is wishing to see incidents of severe violence on November 30, and has started hiring 'insurgents' as well.

“Imran [Khan] will be directly responsible for any incidents that occur on November 30,” he said, adding that it is difficult for the PTI chief to exonerate himself from the attacks on state buildings and PTV headquarters in Islamabad.

If he commits more violence from outsourced terrorists on November 30, serious cases against him will be registered, added Rashid.

He appealed Imran to quit the politics of incitations, and adopt parliamentary politics to achieve his goals.

The minister argued that the "outsourced terrorists" would be well equipped with cutters, weapons, and, will be experts at arson.

Despite all this, said Rashid, the government has decided to let Imran hold his rally.

“If it remains peaceful, the government will do nothing but if there is provocation of violence, the law will adopt its due course.”

The minister further said that excessive use of power had been used in past but the government has adopted a democratic way to deal with protests.

“If we used power against the PTI in the past, we wouldn't have had seen the real, violent face of Imran,” he said.

Imran incited workers to attack PTV

Rashid ruled out Imran’s claim that he was sleeping when the Pakistan Television headquarters in the federal capital was attacked, and went on to show clips of the PTI chief's speeches over the past two months to prove his point.

Rashid demanded Khan to either disown Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid’s statement, which he made during a gathering in Sahiwal to provoke workers to burn state machinery on November 30, or endorse his views, and accept responsibility for the consequences.

“He should clarify if he was sleeping when the AML leader  made the statements,” he said.



Negotiations with PTI

Regarding negotiations with Imran’s party, the minister said the government was in favour of dialogue and invited the PTI to resume talks.

“The government accepted one of PTI’s two demands and formed a parliamentary committee on election reforms, while the second is pending on the formation of Terms of Reference for Judicial Commission of Supreme Court,” he said.

Regarding the arrest warrants on Imran and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, the information minister said the court had issued orders for the police and the government had no concern with that.

“The police will submit its reply in the court, not the government,” he asserted

The information minister also said that Qadri had abandoned his workers just because he had to get his Canadian passport, renewed.

Jehlum firing

About the Jehlum firing incident, Rashid said the village where the incident took place neither came in the way of Imran’s rally nor near the venue, and that the incident had nothing to do with the political rally of PTI.