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| Malik threatens Sharifs with sedition |
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Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Speaks of Lahore-like terrorist attack during long march
By Mobarik A Virk
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik, while putting up a brave face in the face of the upcoming long march by the lawyers to Islamabad, said the government would facilitate the long marchers like it did the last time. However, he warned that the long marchers would definitely not be allowed to get close to the Constitution Avenue, the area that the organisers of the long march have set as their goal to reach.
Talking to the media at a press conference, the adviser also warned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif to refrain from raising rebellious slogans or incite public feelings, for which the government has enough evidence that a case under clause 124-A of the Constitution could be initiated against him on the charges of sedition, that could land him in jail for life.
About the upcoming long march, Rehman Malik said the government has no objection to a peaceful demonstration within the parameters of law. “They are most welcome to do whatever they may like to but we would not allow them to disrupt normal life of the people of Islamabad. Constitution Avenue is the security zone where hundreds of diplomats are living, the entire governmental system is running from there. Besides, we have received written request from the traders, from the civil society, from the residents of Islamabad to keep away all the processions from the main area of Islamabad and that is what the government intends to do,” he said.
To a question, he said that the government has already proposed two sites inside Islamabad, one located in sector G-11 and the other one is the old Exhibition Site behind Shakarparian, where these long marchers can come and stage a sit-in and speak.
“Chief Commissioner Kamran Lashari, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Qalb-e-Abbas and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Farooq from Rawalpindi are already in touch with them. Right now negotiations are going on. We hope they may agree to our proposal. We are not opposed to them coming to Islamabad but they should choose a specific place so that the citizens of Islamabad should not face problems,” he said, adding: “In the past in the backdrop of the post-Lal Masjid operation period there were a lot of peaceful processions but we lost a number of our policemen in Islamabad. We have information that such threats are still there, not the long march specific but overall. We inherited a worsening law and order. So, the enemy who attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore can do such thing in the long march or some procession as well. In such a situation it is our duty to resolve the issues jointly and peacefully.” He said the Sharif brothers have openly said that they are raising the flag of rebellion.
While quoting what is written under the Pakistan Penal Code, Section 124-A, which is sedition, the adviser said that Mian Nawaz Sharif has more than once and at many different places has openly said that he does not accept the decision against him and his brother and declared the court as a ‘fake court’.
Rehman Malik further quoted Mian Nawaz Sharif as saying in all his public rallies: “I have asked Shahbaz Sharif to go to Assembly and establish your government again. He is Constitutional Chief Minister of Punjab. I have ordered the police not to obey their government orders and wage jehad against them.”
However, answering questions, he said that the government has no intention of filing any case against the Sharif brothers under Section 124-A. ěI just explained to you what is there in the Constitution in this regard. We have no such intention. Neither there is any plan to detain them ahead of the long march. We are not afraid of anything as we have been saying all along that let them demonstrate. We will deal it politically,î Rehman Malik said. He, however, advised the Sharif brothers to refrain from using abusive language against the president and the judiciary. “We are not reacting to all this instigations. However, he should know that there is always a limit to things and he should not cross the limits,” the adviser said.
To a question, he said that both Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif “begged pardon from Pervez Musharraf in writing.” “Yes, it is there, in full detail. In writing, as well as signed. They definitely have begged pardon (from Musharraf) but we would not like to go into the details. The fact remains that whenever they were asked if they ever entered into any agreement, they denied but today I say yes, they did. If you wish to see that, then give me two, three days and fix a time. I will present that to you as well.”
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ISSN 1563-9479 
