The minister’s statements aimed to set the record straight regarding the incident, urging the public to disregard the misinformation surrounding the protest and its aftermath.
Info Minister says man ‘pushed off container’ during PTI protest was making TikTok. Minister Refutes PTI Claims on Injured Protestor, Says He Was Filming TikTok Video
In a press briefing on Saturday, Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, addressed the controversy surrounding the injured protestor during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest at D-Chowk on November 26. The minister clarified that the man, who had been pushed off a container by security forces during the demonstration, was not praying as claimed by PTI but was, in fact, filming a TikTok video.
Tarar confirmed that the man, identified as a resident of Mandi Bahauddin, had sustained injuries to his arm but was otherwise in good health and fully recovered. He vehemently refuted reports circulating on social media that suggested the protestor had been praying before being thrown off the container and subsequently died.
The incident occurred amidst the ongoing PTI protest, where a viral video showed the protestor being pushed from the top of a three-layered shipping container by security personnel wearing riot control gear. PTI members had quickly claimed that the protestor was praying when the security forces forcibly removed him, which sparked widespread concern and sympathy for the man.
However, Tarar sought to dispel these claims, describing them as part of PTI’s “propaganda.” The minister explained that the man, known as Tahir Abbas Tarar, had been trying to shoot a TikTok video, and had even challenged a friend to capture the moment.
Earlier, PTI MNA from Mandi Bahauddin, Haji Imtiaz Ahmed Choudhary, had shared a photograph of the injured man on his Facebook, accompanied by a message falsely attributing the injuries to an act of prayer. The post depicted Tarar lying on the ground with both arms heavily bandaged.
The minister’s statements aimed to set the record straight regarding the incident, urging the public to disregard the misinformation surrounding the protest and its aftermath.
