Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday warned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against proceeding with its planned march on Islamabad, saying the government would ensure implementation of the Islamabad High Court’s orders and would not allow the federal capital to be “stormed.”
Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Naqvi said preparations were under way for a march on Islamabad and urged the protesters to reconsider their decision.
“There is still time; do not enter this situation or a dead-end street from where there is no way back,” he said.
The interior minister said such protests would harm the economy, the public and the protesters themselves. He claimed that a majority of the PTI leadership did not want to proceed with the long march, adding that such protests could not achieve anything.
Naqvi said the government would fully implement the Islamabad High Court’s orders and would seek a permanent solution to repeated protests. The IHC has ruled that political parties cannot occupy public roads, highways or government buildings or disrupt the movement of citizens.
Referring to the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Naqvi said a recent blast at a mosque in Kohat had highlighted the security challenges facing the province.
He questioned the decision to hold protests amid the prevailing security situation and said attention should instead be focused on combating terrorism.
Responding to questions about PTI founder Imran Khan’s health, Naqvi said that if a medical check-up had been requested, it had already been conducted at a hospital the previous night.
He said Khan’s treatment would be carried out according to the law and would not be based solely on his personal wishes.
Naqvi also said the process concerning the creation of new provinces was moving forward.
“If Allah wills and the people want it, provinces will certainly be created,” he said, adding that the matter was being expedited at a fast pace.
PTI rejects govt measures
Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan condemned the reported arrests of party workers and parliamentarians, saying such measures would further increase political tensions.
He urged those in positions of power to reconsider the situation, saying the arrests of lawmakers and their family members could worsen tensions.
He stated this amid reports of arrests of PTI leaders and family members of Imran.
Gohar said the country needed an end to political confrontation rather than further escalation and maintained that PTI was raising its voice for justice.
Aleema Khan, sister of Imran Khan, was detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law ahead of the party’s planned September 27 protest. Reports on Monday also said two of Imran Khan’s other sisters, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi, had been detained for 30 days.
PTI has said its planned protest is intended to be peaceful and has demanded the release of those detained.
