- Information minister says PTI offered ‘zero evidence’ to back rigging allegations
- Says party boycotted elections publicly but ran ‘covert campaigns’ in field, hails Babar Nawaz Khan’s Haripur win as proof of PTI’s declining appeal
- Warns toxic anti-Army digital campaigns show coordinated activity abroad
- Says Nawaz Sharif’s legal relief was ‘judicial correction,’ which even PTI once endorsed
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday firmly dismissed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) allegations of rigging in the by-elections, saying a party that had publicly boycotted the polls “has no moral or political standing to question the results.”
Responding to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan’s accusations on the floor of the National Assembly, the minister said the opposition had failed to furnish any evidence to substantiate its claims.
He said the PTI had boycotted the by-elections in full public view, yet simultaneously ran covert campaigns against rival candidates on social media and in the field.
“Politics cannot run on boycotts. To conceal your own missteps, you attack Parliament, the Speaker, and Nawaz Sharif. This attitude is regrettable,” he remarked, adding that PTI’s “double standards” had been exposed in courts where the party repeatedly sought adjournments instead of presenting proof.
The minister questioned how many cases the PTI had actually submitted before election tribunals to back its rigging allegations.
Tarar highlighted that Babar Nawaz Khan had defeated PTI with a significant margin, reflecting the party’s declining public appeal.
“He faced a powerful political dynasty, a full provincial administration, the police, and local machinery—yet fought like a true political worker and won. Today, as he took oath, we pay him tribute,” Tarar said while commending Babar Nawaz Khan’s victory in Haripur.
He recalled that multiple attempts at political dialogue were earlier derailed by the very elements who now speak of negotiations. “The committee formed for talks—which included the late Senator Irfan Siddiqui—was deliberately undermined,” he noted.
Tarar also pointed out that during the special Kashmir session, the former prime minister remained absent despite the presence of the then-Leader of the Opposition and the Speaker.
“Despite hostility and slogans, we stated on record that we were ready for a Charter of Economy,” he said.
He added that the opposition’s conduct suggested a mindset of “My rights are absolute; yours are questionable. My morality is pure; yours is suspect.”
Tarar said Pakistan’s democratic process cannot be destabilized through contradictions, misinformation, or political theatrics.
“They neither hide fully nor appear fully—trapped between denial and accusations. The people have delivered their verdict, and they will face defeat again on every front,” he said.
The minister also condemned social media accounts maligning the Pakistan Army and the Field Marshal, noting that their engagement from India and Afghanistan was deeply troubling.
“Some members here will claim these accounts are not theirs. But this is coordinated—a good-cop, bad-cop strategy. This House rejects such toxic digital campaigns,” he warned.
Responding to objections regarding legal relief granted to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Tarar said the PML-N leader had merely received judicial correction of past wrongs.
“The courts themselves acknowledged earlier errors. The relief was lawful. Even their own cabinet approved allowing Nawaz Sharif to travel for treatment—yet today they criticise the same decision,” he added.
