Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI of promoting “character assassination and politics of hatred” in the country.

He also blamed the opposition party for “conspiring to mislead the young generation”.

“There had been a tradition of decency and respect in Pakistan’s politics before the PTI. PML-N President Nawaz Sharif always promoted a culture of tolerance in the country. But contrary to this, the PTI promoted character assassination and politics of hatred,” Tarar said at a book launch ceremony in Lahore on Saturday.

Recalling the 2013 elections, the minister said when PTI founder Imran Khan, who has been in jail for over two years in multiple cases, got injured after falling from a crane, Nawaz Sharif immediately cancelled his public rallies as a “gesture of sympathy”.

“Politics of hatred and division have ruined Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) over the past 12 years under the PTI rule as well. The PTI government in KP has no performance to show. Not a single hospital in KP can be compared to Lahore’s Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI) during this period,” he lambasted.

The information minister further said the PTI caused severe damage to the country and its economy and that the slogan of “change” was used to bring destruction.

“The international institutions are now acknowledging improvement in Pakistan’s economy,” he claimed.

He added Nawaz’s core mission was providing relief to the people.

“The Sharif family played a vital role in promoting industrial development in the country, while development projects bear the hallmark of Nawaz’s leadership,” he said, adding that the elder Sharif introduced the politics of public service in Pakistan and that every major development project carried his name.

The minister further claimed that the national economy had gained stability under the leadership of the Sharif brothers.

The war of words between members of the PTI and the ruling coalition has continued, particularly in recent days, after the spokesperson for the armed forces held a hard-hitting press conference on December 6..