PTI claims govt planned violence, suspends 'peaceful' protest

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership announced on Wednesday that it ended the ongoing protest which was launched in Islamabad three days ago in view of the federal government's 'plan to shed the blood of innocent citizens'.

The announcement comes after the party's protesters were dispersed from the Red Zone in Islamabad following a crackdown by law enforcers with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI founder Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi taking to their heels, fleeing the protest site.

The PTI's central media cell issued a press release on Wednesday, saying, "In light of the government's brutality and plans to turn the federal capital into a "slaughterhouse" for unarmed citizens, we are announcing the temporary suspension of our peaceful protest."

The former ruling party said that it would announce the future course of action in the light of guidance from party founder Imran Khan.

It said that the party's political and core committees would analyse the details of the government's brutality toward the citizens during the protest and later, the findings would be shared with the PTI founder.

So far, the party has received the details of eight martyrs, said the PTI spokesperson.

The martyrs include Anis Shehzad Satti, Malik Mubeen Aurangzeb, Abdul Qadir, Malik Safdar Ali, Ahmed Wali, Muhammad Ilyas, and Abdul Rashid, per the PTI spokesperson.," the statement added.

Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif claimed that the PTI founder had agreed to move the ongoing protest to outskirts of Islamabad, but his spouse Bushra Bibi refused to do so.

PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat told Geo News that he and Gandapur were not in favour of the PTI march to enter D-Chowk as the KP chief minister wanted the workers do not exceed the limits of Kulsoom Hospital.

After the PTI march entered the red zone, the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) started operation and pushed back the marching protesters from Islamabad's D-Chowk — the venue of the party’s much-touted power show.

The PTI protesters retreated from the site following the heavy teargas shelling and action by the authorities with Bushra Bibi and KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur fleeing the protest venue on board a vehicle.

Sources said the personnel of the Islamabad police chased them and reportedly captured their guards. Later, sources privy to the chief minister's family said that the two safely arrived in KP.