"Attempt to harm country's reputation": Pak Dy PM Ishaq Dar slams PTI's protests

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 6 (ANI): Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday termed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) protest as an attempt to harm Pakistan's reputation at the global level, ARY News reported on Sunday.

According to ARY News, Dar,, in a statement, said that the protest was launched at a time when Pakistan is going to host a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad and that the objective of the protest is to create chaos in the country and sabotage Pakistan's diplomatic efforts at the SCO's summit.

Dar said that the PTI's invitation to a foreign minister of a neighbouring country to participate in its protest is a political gimmick by its leadership inflicting damage to the national stature, ARY News reported.

Dar said that it is the right time to put greater national interests ahead of small-scale political ones and to resolve the country's stability, leading it to its real destination.

"The eyes of the world are currently on Pakistan and we need to show unity instead of differences," ARY News quoted Dar as saying.

Earlier on Saturday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Governor Faisal Karim Kundi alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is working on an "anti-state" agenda and condemned the protests led by the party in the province, as per ARY News.

According to ARY News, Governor Kundi said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is working on an 'anti-state' agenda and claimed that a PTI leader invited a foreign minister of a neighbouring country to destabilise Pakistan. The governor also criticised the party leader's statement inviting foreign ministers.

He also condemned PTI's protests, saying that the party wants to create chaos and anarchy in the country. Kundi said that PTI's planned D-Chowk rally will not be allowed to harm national interests, emphasising the need to maintain law and order, ARY News reported.

According to ARY News, Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claimed that 11 officers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police and 120 Afghan nationals were among the 567 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters arrested in Islamabad. (ANI)