Islamabad: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has denied allegations of excessive force used by law enforcement agencies during recent protests organized by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. He dismissed claims of indiscriminate firing and state brutality as unfounded.
According to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Dar described accusations of gunshot injuries and unwarranted violence as “malicious” and “absolutely false.” He challenged those making the allegations to provide concrete evidence such as “graves and dead bodies” to support their claims.
Dar stated that the protestors were armed with heavy ammunition and tear gas canisters, with the intent to cause chaos and harm. Despite facing aggression, he emphasized that security and law enforcement agencies exercised considerable restraint, even in the face of fatalities among their personnel.
He further accused PTI leaders of abandoning their workers and fabricating a narrative of state brutality, calling it baseless and misleading.