ISLAMABAD – Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday said the government would stop the PTI’s protest march planned for September 27 on Islamabad in every possible way, noting that no room was left for any group or the party of former prime minister Imran Khan to storm the federal capital after the Islamabad High Court verdict.
He gave these remarks after chairing a meeting on internal security at the Ministry of Interior that was attended by officials from several law enforcement agencies and provincial administration. The meeting finalized the government’s strategy to cope with the upcoming protest march of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), demanding release of incarcerated party chief Imran Khan.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) in its recent judgment ruled that no political party had the right to occupy public roads, highways or buildings, in a case filed against the PTI’s planned long march on the capital.
Besides PTI’s call, the capital city is bracing for protests during the month as Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has given the call of a march to Islamabad for September 20 (Sunday), demanding reduction in petrol prices, and farmers for September 25 to protest the government’s agricultural policies.
Addressing a press conference here along with other government functionaries, Interior Minister Naqvi said all law enforcement agencies had been told with clarity to stop the entry of protestors into the capital city in compliance with the IHC judgement.
“If someone comes out after the court’s decision, we will first initiate contempt of court proceedings. Otherwise, we will not allow anyone to come out,” he said, adding that the provinces had also been informed.
In the past, the security agencies had been facing losses as firearms were used from the other side in such protests, he said. “This time, we have told clear rules of engagement to our security forces, and there is no possibility that they would sit idle if anyone fired bullets at them,” he said.
Naqvi appealed to the PTI leadership to hold protests in their respective cities and provinces. “But it could not be allowed to shut down the federal capital or attack any other province,” he warned. Referring to Friday’s terrorist attack at a police facility in Khot district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), he said the security forces were fighting a war in the province, which was being ruled by the PTI. He indirectly referring to the ruling party in KP said they should focus on this war instead of planning how to “collect funds, arrange transport and gather people” for a protest. “This doesn’t suit you that on one side, you carry coffins of martyrs and on the other side, you prepare for a sit-in,” he said.
