Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari on Sunday strongly condemned what she described as deliberate attempts to create chaos and destabilise the province in the name of solidarity with Gaza.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Azma Bukhari said that violent elements were exploiting the Palestinian cause to carry out attacks on businesses and public property across Punjab, warning that such actions were harming Pakistan more than helping Gaza.

“Is Gaza benefitting from these attacks in Pakistan?” she asked. “Those who are trying to set fire in the name of Gaza are certainly not Pakistanis, nor do they love this country. They are against peace, development, and foreign investment in Pakistan.”

Referring to recent attacks on food chains and businesses, the minister revealed that around 25,000 Pakistanis are employed in these franchises across the country. “Those injured in these attacks are Pakistanis, and the deceased is also Pakistani,” she said.

The minister did not rule out the involvement of “a foreign hand” behind the unrest, stating that external elements could be attempting to destabilise Pakistan under the guise of solidarity protests.

She emphasised that Islam is a religion of peace, and that the acts of violence being committed in the name of religion were not justifiable. “Our Palestinian brothers and sisters are giving martyrdoms. They chant Allahu Akbar and recite the Kalima Tayyaba — they are not taking up arms to kill others,” she added.

Highlighting the religious and ethical contradictions in recent events, she questioned how attacking fellow Muslims in Pakistan could be considered an act of solidarity with Palestinians. “If 25,000 Pakistanis lose their jobs, how will it help Muslims in Gaza?”

The provincial minister made it clear that the government would not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands. “No one will be allowed to disturb law and order in the name of religion, solidarity, or political motives,” she warned.

Providing a breakdown of the law enforcement response, Ms Bukhari said that 149 individuals have been arrested and 14 FIRs registered across various districts of Punjab. These include:

Lahore: 11 accused arrested in 3 cases
Sheikhupura: 71 arrested on a witness testimony
Gujranwala: 8 arrested in 1 case
Rawalpindi: 33 arrested in 3 cases
Multan: 11 arrested in 1 case
Sahiwal: 6 arrested in 1 case
Bahawalpur: 7 arrested in 2 cases
Rahim Yar Khan: 2 arrested in 1 case
Faisalabad: 1 case registered

Azma Bukhari stressed that legitimate and peaceful protests were being held by various political and religious parties, and the government had no objection to those demonstrations. “We are also part of those peaceful protests,” she said.

She added that Pakistan’s government was already actively raising the issue of Gaza at global forums. “The Prime Minister has sent humanitarian aid to Gaza in eight separate consignments, with the latest one dispatched recently,” she noted.

The Prime Minister, she added, had also raised the Palestinian issue forcefully at platforms such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Arab League.