Pir Suleman Shah Rashdi, a senior bureaucrat in Pakistan’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has resigned in protest against the recent crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters.
In a post on the social media platform X, Rashdi expressed his outrage, stating: “After today’s heart-wrenching scenes, I curse this government and its job. I announce my resignation from civil service!”
PTI called off its protest in the early hours of Wednesday, citing the government’s heavy-handed response. A press release shared on the party’s official X account read: “In view of the government’s brutality and its plan to turn the capital into a slaughterhouse for unarmed citizens, we announce the suspension of the peaceful protest for the time being.”
The PTI spokesperson accused security forces of excessive force, claiming: “Unarmed protesters were met with a barrage of bullets on Islamabad’s streets, leaving hundreds injured.”
The party confirmed that its protests in Islamabad were being temporarily halted, with future actions to be decided after consultations between the founder chairman and the core committee.
