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Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry has said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership cannot distance itself from the recent shooting incident on Rawalpindi’s Mall Road. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry said the incident was deeply regrettable and alleged that the man involved had links with the PTI and had remained in contact with the party’s leadership. According to the minister, the suspect had previously stayed at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House and had met members of the PTI leadership. He also allegedly carried the party’s flag and appeared in social media videos showing attacks on security forces. Chaudhry said a security personnel was injured when the attacker opened direct fire on Mall Road. He argued that the PTI leadership could not simply deny responsibility by claiming that the individual had no connection with the party or suffered from mental health problems. “If his mental condition was not stable, why did he attack a security official instead of his own family or a party leader?” Chaudhry asked. He questioned why the individual had allegedly been placed at the frontline of protests if the party had no association with him. The minister accused the PTI of promoting a political culture based on confrontation, violence and hatred. He said the government had repeatedly urged the party to avoid spreading hostility and unrest among young people. Chaudhry linked such politics to previous violent incidents, including the events of May 9 and November 26, and warned that continuing to promote hatred could lead to further incidents. He also criticised what he described as vandalism and arson carried out in the name of politics. He questioned what the PTI had achieved for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during its long period in power in the province. “Setting things on fire and creating disorder is not politics,” he said, adding that such actions neither served the party nor the province. Referring to future political activities, Chaudhry warned that similar incidents could occur again if party workers continued to be exposed to what he described as hateful and inflammatory rhetoric. He also criticised PTI founder Imran Khan’s statements and speeches, alleging that they had contributed to political polarisation and unrest. Chaudhry further accused PTI supporters of disrespecting security personnel and national heroes, including through social media posts targeting the country’s fallen soldiers. The minister said investigations into the Rawalpindi incident were progressing and that authorities were conducting a transparent inquiry. He assured that the findings would be made public once the investigation was completed. Chaudhry said the government would not allow Pakistan to be pushed into further political instability and warned that those involved in attacks would face legal consequences.

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said the country’s current political system has lost the confidence of the public and requires a complete reset to restore democratic credibility. Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, Barrister Gohar said that instead of forming more governments under the existing circumstances, the leadership should return to the people and seek a fresh public mandate. He claimed that a key coalition partner had publicly described the prime minister as the beneficiary of a rigged election. According to Gohar, such a statement should have prompted the prime minister to immediately seek a vote of confidence in the National Assembly. The PTI chairman argued that the prime minister failed to obtain a vote of confidence and had therefore lost the moral legitimacy to continue in office. He added that the prime minister’s silence on the issue reflected a loss of political support and public confidence. Barrister Gohar further alleged that the government’s administrative structure had effectively collapsed. He claimed the government had lost its constitutional, legal and democratic standing, making the continuation of the current system increasingly difficult. He said the time had come for the existing political system to come to an end, adding that the Constitution provides a legal mechanism for moving a vote of no confidence. He said PTI would consult its allies before deciding its future course of action. The PTI chairman also said he believed the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had emerged from a disputed electoral process. Calling for a political solution, Barrister Gohar urged all stakeholders to develop a national consensus to resolve the country’s ongoing political crisis. He stressed that Parliament should seriously address the public demands coming from all provinces.