PTI not a political party, should be dealt with as terrorists: Azma

• Azma Bokhari blames PTI for using teargas shelling on police.
• "You cannot use public resources for vandalism," she says.
• PTI has always worked against Pakistan’s development: minister.

Following the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s insistence on holding a rally at Islamabad’s D-Chowk today despite Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s warning against it, Punjab Minister for Information Azma Bokhari on Friday said the party was a not a political party and it should be treated as a terrorist entity.

"The [PTI] is not a political party," Bokhari said during an interview on Geo News programme 'Geo Pakistan'.

To a query, the information minister said she heard the interior minister last day and she believed he would not let the PTI supporters enter the federal capital.

Naqvi on Thursday warned the PTI against holding the public gathering as visits of foreign dignitaries were planned in Islamabad, including the Malaysian prime minister.

Amid its anti-government campaign, the former ruling party — founded by Imran Khan — is holding protests for the “independence” of the judiciary and the release of the former prime minister from jail.

The protest will coincide with the final day of the Malaysian prime minister’s visit to Pakistan and the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit . The authorities have already enforced Section 144 and “the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024”, regulating holding of public assemblies at certain places in Islamabad.

“The PTI’s top leadership should review its protest call […] No one will be allowed for an onrush on Islamabad,” the security czar said while addressing a presser along with officials of the federal police.

Meanwhile, the provincial information minister the PTI had always worked against Pakistan’s development.

"The country is progressing and inflation is dropping, but they cannot sit with peace," she said.

She blamed PTI of using teargas shelling on police officials during last protest, adding that they would not have been stopped if they held peaceful protest. But they came for creating anarchy, she maintained.

“The people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should ask them why they did not do work. You cannot use public resources for vandalism,” she said.

On the other hand, she said Punjab was peaceful and people were busy in their daily routine works. Since the Punjab chief minister was doing her job, the residents of the province had no interest in participating in the demonstration, she added.