Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry launched a scathing attack on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during his address in the National Assembly on Thursday, accusing the party of having ties with terrorists and asserting that operations under the National Action Plan (NAP) would continue uninterrupted, “not even someone’s father can stop them.”
Chaudhry’s fiery remarks came in response to PTI’s protest and claims that party lawmakers were prevented from entering the Assembly building. He clarified that security restrictions were only for external attendees due to Kashmir Exploitation Day activities and ongoing security concerns, while all internal access points remained open.
“Even I was moving in and out freely. No member was stopped,” he said, dismissing PTI’s objections as political theatre.
The minister accused PTI of mishandling their protest request, revealing that the party had submitted it via post on August 2 for a protest scheduled on August 5. He claimed that Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner and staff tried repeatedly to contact PTI officials but received no response.
Chaudhry downplayed the scale of the protest, stating that fewer than 100 people took to the streets in Islamabad, and only 954 scattered participants were observed in Punjab. “No one was arrested, and no one was stopped. This narrative of being dragged to jail from the Assembly is baseless,” he said.
Turning sharply toward PTI’s past conduct, the minister made explosive allegations about the party’s links to extremist groups, referencing the May 9 riots, and asking why no PTI leader had been attacked by terrorists since 2015.
“The TTP was brought back, who invited them? Who resettled them? Which provincial chief minister said fighting them would make us end up like ANP or JUI-F?” he asked rhetorically.
He accused PTI of using popularity as a shield for impunity. “Even the devil is popular, that doesn’t make him an angel,” Chaudhry quipped. He said popularity carries greater responsibility, not immunity.
Highlighting the selective trust PTI places in the judiciary, he said: “When you get a stay order from Peshawar, courts are good. When a verdict goes against you, you say the system is corrupt.”
Chaudhry also rejected concerns raised by the former Speaker regarding a new military operation, saying no fresh operation was being launched. However, routine counter-terrorism actions under NAP would continue across the country.
“This is not a war against a political party. This is a war against Pakistan’s enemies. Terrorism will not be tolerated, period,” he said.
On the issue of Shia pilgrims traveling to Iraq via Iran, Chaudhry said the government has temporarily suspended the overland route due to heightened regional tensions, especially the ongoing Israel-Iran hostilities.
“Every year we ensure security for the pilgrims. This time, due to specific threats and regional instability, we took this difficult decision after consulting with neighboring countries,” he explained.
He added that he was immediately heading to Karachi to engage directly with community representatives and that the Sindh and Balochistan governments and the Sindh Governor were actively coordinating with the federal government.
“We are close to resolving key issues. The government is committed to making this journey possible, and safe,” Chaudhry assured.
