The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has strongly rejected claims made by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Atta Ullah Tarar regarding the alleged presence of Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Murad Saeed at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar.  In a statement, Barrister Saif, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s Information Advisor, dismissed Tarar’s accusation as “ridiculous” and labeled it a baseless lie. According to Barrister Saif, Tarar’s assertion that Murad Saeed was hiding at the CM House was false and contradicted the facts.

He went on to mock the claim, stating that if Murad Saeed had indeed been present during the Islamabad protests and was not arrested, it would reflect severe incompetence on the part of the authorities, suggesting that such incompetence could even merit a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Saif further emphasized that the provincial government was unaware of Murad Saeed’s whereabouts, adding, “If we knew where Murad Saeed was, we would have certainly taken action. But this claim about him hiding at the CM House is simply not true.” He also pointed out the inconsistencies in Tarar’s statements, arguing that if Murad Saeed had been seen during the D-Chowk protests, he would have been apprehended by the law enforcement officials present.

“Thousands of protesters were arrested from D-Chowk, yet Murad Saeed was reportedly nowhere to be found. How could this be?” Saif questioned. The controversy erupted after Atta Ullah Tarar, in a press conference on the previous day, accused Murad Saeed of being involved in the Islamabad protests and claimed that he had not only participated in the unrest but had also brought “armed miscreants” with him, allegedly tasked with causing destruction. Tarar suggested that Murad Saeed was hiding at the Chief Minister’s House in Peshawar, and he criticized the PTI leader’s role in undermining the state’s authority.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan