— Section 144 imposed in Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad
— Army called in to secure Red Zone
ISLAMABAD: The cabinet has decided to stop the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) from holding its long march on Islamabad in order to “ensure the safety and security” of the people, a minister announced Tuesday.
Last Saturday, former prime minister Imran Khan called on his supporters to gather in Islamabad on Wednesday (tomorrow) for a demonstration that he said would continue until the “imported” government of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) announced a date for snap elections.
Addressing a press conference following a meeting of the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah Khan said the decision was taken to “avoid the spread of fitna (mischief) and fasaad,” said the minister who was flanked by ministers Qamar Zaman Kaira and Maulana Asad Mehmood.
Condemning the protest, Sanaullah said the march was not “democratic” and, therefore, couldn’t be allowed to take place. “No one has authority to dictate [the government in] Islamabad.”
The PTI declared theirs was going to be a bloody march but, I repeat, the government will not allow anyone to lay siege on the capital, he said.
“They first raised the issue of a foreign conspiracy, then the assassination plot and now they are trying to spread anarchy in the garb of a march,” the minister claimed.
“They said this march is going to be bloody. They had already raised civil disobedience slogans and attacked institutions.
“They will be stopped as they wanted to attack the Federation from one province. All their ‘braves’ have now gathered in Peshawar and I warn them to behave.”
Recalling the 2014 sit-in of the PTI, Sanaullah said these people laid siege to the Prime Minister’s House, provoked people to ignite civil disobedience movement and hung dirty clothes on Parliament House and the Supreme Court buildings.
He said the PTI chairman was working on a strategy of divide-and-mislead but added the government will not allow him to promote his destructive agenda.
He said the entire leadership of the PTI party was present in Peshawar from where it was planning to invade the capital by utilising force and resources of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said violent gangs cannot be allowed to attack the state and warned the people, who have become hypnotised by Khan’s politics of hatred and division, to come out of the illusion.
The minister said maintaining law and order and ensuring security and protection of people’s lives, businesses, and properties is the top priority of the government and nobody or group will be allowed to harm them.
He urged all the institutions, political parties and the media to play their role to prevent this attempt of creating disorder.
Sanaullah said the government respected the right of expression and staging a peaceful democratic protest, but nobody can be allowed to stage a deadly demonstration.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Communication Mahmood the long march is aimed at ruining the country’s politics and the economy. He said a violent march will not be allowed in any case.
Kaira said that the decision to not allow violent protest was a unanimous one.
Section 144 imposed in Punjab, Islamabad
Meanwhile, Section 144 was imposed in Punjab and
Islamabad ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) long march towards the federal capital.
The development came after Sindh Government imposed section 144, disallowing political activity in across the province.
According to a notification issued by the Sindh home department, Section 144 will remain in force for 30 days.
The law bans the assembly of more than five people in public places. All political and religious congregations were banned.
According to a notification issued by the Interior Ministry, section 144 was imposed in Islamabad for a period of two months.
Later in the day, PML-N Deputy Secretary-General Attaullah Tarar told a press conference that Section 144 was imposed in the province.
“The govt took decision after consulting with its allies,” he told the media.
The ban is enforced by the police who register cases under section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code for violations of the ban which carry a maximum
penalty of six months in prison or fine or both.
Govt calls in Pakistan Army
Shortly after the government’s decision to stop PTI’s ‘Azadi March’, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah summoned the Pakistan Army for the security of the Red Zone in Islamabad media sources said.
According to the sources, army personnel will be stationed at PM House and PM Office, the Supreme Court and other sensitive government buildings in the Red Zone area.
All security arrangements will be handed over to the army, the sources said.
