The federal government on Sunday accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of politicising the recent Bannu incident, alleging that PTI workers were involved in the protest rally that led to civilian casualties, Aaj News reported.

“PTI attempted to disrupt the peaceful protest in Bannu and incite violence,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

He alleged that armed individuals within the protest opened fire, resulting in the deaths and injuries of civilians.

Tarar slammed PTI Chairman Imran Khan for failing to condemn the incident and for spreading misinformation about direct firing on protesters. He further accused the PTI of fabricating evidence, including using images of children from another country to claim they were victims of the violence.

The minister questioned the impartiality of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s decision to form a commission to investigate the incident, stating that the presence of PTI members in the protest raises concerns about their ability to conduct a fair probe.

The protest, organised by the trader community, was held to demand action against armed groups operating in Bannu and surrounding areas.

The information minister claimed that the situation in Bannu was stabilizing, but accused “certain political forces” of attempting to exploit the incident for political gain and spread misinformation.

The PTI has vehemently denied the allegations, rejecting the federal government’s claims of their involvement in the violence.