The recent violent protests organised by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have resulted in indirect economic losses of Rs192 billion per day, according to a statement from the Interior Ministry.
In a press release, the Interior Ministry stated on Sunday that PTI and its social media supporters are focused on creating divisions and confusion in society.
Such elements, whether domestic or foreign, will be held accountable under the relevant laws, and no one will be allowed to instigate divisions, spread hatred, or propagate fake news, the statement said.
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The press release emphasised that the people of Pakistan, including the proud residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reject this violent and extremist approach to politics.
The press release pointed out that on 26 November, protesting miscreants reached Red Zone violating the lawful orders of the Islamabad High Court and directly clashed multiple times with LEAs using fire arms, tear gas shells, stun grenades, steel sling shots and nail studded batons.
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It said that Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) comprising Police and Rangers were employed without live ammunition to disperse this violent mob while Army neither came in direct clash with these miscreants nor employed for riot control.
It said that the armed guards of the protesting leaders and the hard core armed miscreants resorted to indiscriminate firing.
The leadership under the cover of such self-induced violence instead of controlling the violent mob fled from the area.
Once the area had been cleared from the violent protestors and miscreants, site media visit was also promptly undertaken by both the Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi followed by the press talks.
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Interior Ministry said that social media accounts of PTI resorted to planned and coordinated massive fake propaganda of deaths caused by LEAs so as to divert attention from this senseless, violent and failed activity.
It said sustained fabricated social media campaign, using old and AI generated clips is being viciously undertaken by PTI and joined by other inimical elements.
The Ministry said that there have been multiple false claims of deaths on social media as well as PTI political leadership and their official pages. Certain elements of foreign media also fell prey to this fake news and propaganda without any credible evidence.
It said the government functionaries including Ministers as well as Chief Commissioner ICT and senior police officials, who were directly involved in these riot control operations, have already repeatedly explained and clarified the actual situation and events unfolding with credible evidences.
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The Ministry said that it may also be noted that use of lethal means by LEAs, if at all to be employed, was best suited at multiple enroute blocks rather than within Red Zone under complete media and public glare.
The Ministry said that the officers and jawans of LEAs embraced shahadat, sustained injuries and risked their lives enduring grave physical hardships for multiple days to protect the lives and properties of citizens of Pakistan. Still many jawans of Rangers and Police are critically injured and are receiving medical care.
It said that it is deplorable that Chief Minister of KP made baseless inflammatory statements against institutions, using KP Assembly as a platform to distort facts and spread blatant lies, rather than being shameful of inciting innocent youth of KP for such undesirable activities.
It said that it is concerning to note that 39 lethal weapons including 18 automatic weapons have been recovered from the violent protesters and that amongst the apprehended offenders there are more than three dozen paid aliens.
With regards to material losses incurred during the violent protests, initial estimates suggest damages to the tune of hundreds of million.
Besides, 11 vehicles of LEAs were damaged including prison vans set ablaze.
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