Officials Decline to Provide Evidence for Minister’s Claim of Afghan Nationals’ Arrests After PTI Protest

Despite claims by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi that over 100 Afghan nationals were detained following a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest in Islamabad last month, the Ministry of Interior and Islamabad police have yet to provide evidence to substantiate these arrests.

During an October 5 press conference, Naqvi, alongside Islamabad’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ali Nasir Rizvi, alleged that 41 Afghan nationals were apprehended following a PTI protest on October 4, and that a total of 120 had been detained within the preceding 48 hours.

According to a report from local media outlet Geo News, Media outlet seeking verification of these claims, reached out to senior officials from the Ministry of Interior and Islamabad police from October 7 to November 4. However, no documentation or proof has been provided to support the minister’s statements.

On October 7, Geo Fact Check contacted Qadir Yar Tiwana, Director General of Media at the Ministry of Interior, who redirected the query to the police. That same day, Islamabad police spokesperson Taqi Jawad suggested the interior ministry should handle the inquiry.

Jawad later assured that data would be shared once the 120 Afghan nationals were presented in court, but subsequent follow-ups went unanswered.

Attempts to reach senior police officials, including SSP Operations Muhammad Arslan Shahzeb and DIG Operations Ali Raza, were similarly unsuccessful. Meanwhile, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said she had no information on the matter.

As of November 4, neither the Ministry of Interior nor Islamabad police have offered any evidence to substantiate the minister’s assertions, raising questions about the legitimacy of the claims.