ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for legal action against Bushra Bibi, the wife of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Ali Amin Gandapur, the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to local media reports.
The move comes amid growing tensions between Sharif’s government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The Sharif administration has described the PTI as a party of “anarchists and saboteurs” and vowed to bolster state institutions to prevent what it called “anti-state protests” in the future.
A high-level meeting chaired by Mr. Sharif, attended by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, federal ministers, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Syed Asim Munir, and senior security officials, decided to pursue cases against Ms. Bibi and Mr. Gandapur. The two were said to have led a PTI march that began in Peshawar and ended in Islamabad. The meeting also reviewed the security situation in light of protests that coincided with the visit of Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko.
Task Force to Investigate Protests
According to Dawn, a leading Pakistani news outlet, a government task force led by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has been established to identify individuals involved in the protests, which included attacks on security personnel and public property in the federal capital.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the task force to take strict action against those responsible for the unrest,” said a statement from the prime minister’s office.
The protests, which turned violent, have been blamed for disrupting public order and damaging government installations.
Strengthening Riot Control
In a bid to prevent future unrest, Mr. Sharif has also announced the formation of a Federal Riot Control Force. The unit will receive specialized training and equipment to meet international standards, government officials said.
Additionally, the meeting decided to establish a Federal Forensic Laboratory to improve the collection and analysis of evidence related to violent incidents. Officials said the lab would be equipped with advanced technology to bolster law enforcement capabilities.
The developments mark an escalation in the government’s response to opposition-led protests, further deepening the political divide in Pakistan.
