Govt: PTI can't escape responsibility for Mall Road shooting

Pakistan's interior minister says PTI cannot escape responsibility for Tuesday's Mall Road shooting in Rawalpindi, while insisting on a fair investigation. PTI denies links and calls for facts. ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry on Wednesday said the PTI could not 'absolve itself of responsibility' for Tuesday's shooting on Rawalpindi's Mall Road, in which a man was killed by law enforcement officials after allegedly opening fire on security personnel. Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Chaudhry said the incident was a consequence of what he described as the PTI leadership's continued promotion of 'hatred and anarchy', while stressing that a fair and transparent investigation was under way. The minister's remarks came a day after the shooting, when police said Muhammad Hussain opened fire on security forces, injuring an official before being killed in retaliatory fire. State media, citing security sources, identified him as an 'active PTI member' from Khyber district. The PTI has rejected any connection with the incident, saying it had nothing to do with terrorism and accusing the government of attempting to link the party to the shooting. Chaudhry, however, said the party leadership could not simply distance itself from the alleged attacker. 'For years, the PTI leadership has been told not to perpetuate the politics of hatred and anarchy,' he said, alleging that the party had influenced young people with ideas that could eventually manifest themselves in violent acts. 'When a young person fills his mind with such hatred and anarchy, he expresses it somewhere in his own way. Yesterday's incident is an example of this,' he added. The minister questioned the PTI's claim that the alleged shooter suffered from an unstable mental condition, asking why he had targeted security personnel rather than his family, party members or himself. He said a PTI flag and other information had allegedly been recovered from the man, while videos showing him attacking police personnel had also appeared on social media. Chaudhry accused PTI leaders, social media influencers and YouTubers of contributing to an environment of political hostility and violence. He linked the alleged trend to the incidents of May 9 and November 26, as well as previous confrontations between PTI supporters and security personnel. He also criticised what he described as the party's alleged ridicule of martyrs on social media, saying soldiers and law enforcement personnel were sacrificing their lives while performing their duties. 'This was not an attack on a worker of any political party; it was an attack on a soldier of Pakistan who was performing his duty to maintain law and order,' he said, questioning whether such conduct could be described as politics. The minister challenged the PTI to pursue politics through governance and performance, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where he said the party had been in government for 17 years. 'Neither the country nor Pakistanis can be served through hatred, anarchy and violence,' he said. Chaudhry also linked the incident to the PTI's announced long march towards Islamabad on September 27, alleging that the shooting raised concerns about the potential use of violence during future protests. He questioned why the alleged attacker had allegedly been allowed to remain on the frontline of protests if the party considered him mentally unstable. At the same time, the minister said the government would not prejudge the investigation. 'A fair and free investigation into the incident is underway and the results will be made known,' he said. The PTI has maintained that it believes in peaceful political struggle and has called for the facts surrounding the Mall Road shooting to be established before any attempt is made to associate the incident with the party.