Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday said that jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan had agreed to move the protest from D-Chowk to a location outside Islamabad but his wife, Bushra Bibi, refused. The protest, organized by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on November 24, resulted in several deaths and injuries following late-night clashes with security forces.
According to Asif, the government had offered alternative protest sites to the PTI. While Khan agreed to relocate the protest, Bushra Bibi rejected the proposal, leading to chaos in the Pakistani capital.
“While PTI’s crowd size was impressive, as anyone familiar with politics could expect, Bushra Bibi, unfamiliar with handling such a massive gathering, reportedly expressed concern, saying, ‘Who will go there now?’ and insisted on continuing the march toward D-Chowk,” Asif said.
The minister further alleged that Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur fled the scene after clashes erupted. “What happened later? She fled, escaping with Gandapur,” Asif said, adding that Gandapur’s vehicle was damaged during their escape.
Asif also refuted PTI claims of hundreds of deaths during the protest, saying the actual number was significantly lower and questioning the party’s lack of supporting evidence.
The defence minister noted that security personnel were among those killed and injured during the violence. He praised the security forces for preventing what he called a third attack on the federal government.
Information minister Attaullah Tarar announced the formation of an anti-riot force in response to the events. He accused the PTI of spreading misinformation and using old or AI-generated images. Tarar claimed that protesters used weapons against security personnel and damaged public property.
The PTI has temporarily suspended its Islamabad protest, citing the crackdown. The party confirmed that Bibi and Gandapur were in Mansehra. Approximately 450 protesters have been arrested in the aftermath of the crackdown, according to police.