In a joint press conference held in Peshawar on November 29, 2024, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, condemned the government’s actions against peaceful protesters and media personnel.
Sheikh Waqas Akram accused the federal government of spreading false propaganda, claiming that the authorities had fired at peaceful demonstrators, arrested thousands of PTI workers, and martyred several during protests. He criticized the government’s denial of these actions, describing the situation as absurd and likened it to an attack by a mother on her own children. He further emphasized the arrest of journalist Mati Ullah Jan as a clear example of media suppression.
Waqas also addressed the Balochistan Assembly’s resolution to ban PTI, vowing to pass a similar resolution in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against PPP. He demanded a judicial inquiry into the killings of protesters and urged the judiciary to take action in the matter. He also called for a judicial inquiry into the use of weapons meant for terrorists against innocent civilians in D Chowk.
Omar Ayub, on the other hand, praised the people who participated in the protests despite facing hardship, and acknowledged the efforts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, for his support to the martyrs and injured. He also held Shehbaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, IG Punjab, and DPO Attock responsible for the violent actions against protesters. Ayub further urged the armed forces to reconsider their support for the current government, which he deemed to have been built on a wrong foundation.
Both leaders condemned the treatment of journalists, particularly Mati Ullah Jan, and demanded justice for those who had suffered during the protests. They also called for a judicial commission to investigate the violence against innocent civilians.
