Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's residence here became a "training hub for terrorists", where petrol bombs were made and attacks on the state were planned, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz claimed on Tuesday.
Maryam claimed that during a four-month period when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader feigned leg injuries, they orchestrated the May 9, 2023, attacks on government buildings and key military installations.
In a statement, Maryam condemned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as a group focused on creating chaos and damaging the state, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
The daughter of former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party supremo Nawaz Sharif claimed that the cricketer-turned-politician's residence in Lahore, Zaman Park, had become a "training hub for terrorists", where petrol bombs were made, and attacks on the state were planned, the report added.
The May 9 riots were triggered across the country after 71-year-old Khan was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in a 190-million-pound corruption case. He faces over 200 cases and has been in jail since August last year.
Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations, including the Jinnah House, ISI building in Faisalabad and General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, last year on May 9.
The Punjab Chief Minister also accused PTI of conspiring to default the country, writing letters to the International Monetary Fund, waving cipher messages (diplomatic cables), and disrespecting memorials as part of a larger plot.
Maryam called for strict action against the PTI under the Constitution and law, citing national security and interests.
The chief minister further criticised PTI for alienating friendly countries, making baseless accusations against the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and disrupting Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit in 2014 by staging a sit-in.
She recounted PTI's previous attacks on Parliament, PTV, and the Prime Minister's house, and accused them of violence against police officers and desecrating the Supreme Court's walls.
In March, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ataullah Tarar said that a handful of “miscreants” associated with the PTI were bent upon sabotaging Pakistan’s deal with the IMF, which he said was crucial for economic stability.
Tarar said that at the protest, activists belonging to PTI were urging the IMF to give funds to Pakistan only if their jailed leader was released, regretting that activists of an “anti-national” party continued to hold sit-ins and protests outside the IMF offices.
He said the protesters only wanted to sabotage the IMF deal because their dream was to make Pakistan default.
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