Govt decides to stop long march come what may

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday unanimously decided not to allow the long march of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to Islamabad scheduled to start from Wednesday (today), maintaining that nobody could be allowed to besiege the capital and dictate terms to the government.

“The federal cabinet has decided that the PTI is not permitted to hold its long march and it will be stopped from spreading anarchy and unrest. The government will ensure protection of lives and properties of citizens, traders and the whole population of Islamabad,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah told a press conference.

Other federal ministers, including Qamar Zaman Kaira, Maulana Asad Mahmood, Shahzain Bugti, Ameer Haider Hoti and Marriyum Aurengzeb, were also present. The interior minister, recalling the PTI’s 2014 long march, said that they had assured the Islamabad administration that the protest would be peaceful. “But once they were given access to Islamabad, they surrounded the Prime Minister’s House, attacked the Parliament House and Pakistan Television building, threatened to drag the-then prime minister to the streets and also incited people to civil obedience,” he recounted.

He said the government had also received information that a number of PTI activists in the long march would be armed with weapons, warning the party to refrain from violence. “The PTI leadership will be arrested if they create any untoward situation. The PTI also failed to give an affidavit to the Islamabad High Court that the long march would be peaceful, which shows their intentions,” he said.

Keeping in view the track record of PTI protests, the minister said the federal cabinet had decided that the former ruling party would not be allowed to go ahead with its plan to spread anarchy and unrest and misguide and divide the nation. “This is not a peaceful long march, rather it is hostile and Fasad (chaos). The government has also received information that PTI leaders are in Peshawar and they, with the support of provincial machinery and the police force, would come to attack the Federation. The group coming along with the provincial force and having no legitimacy cannot be allowed to misguide the people,” he observed.

The PTI leadership, he said, is also instigating youth and children to call the opponents corrupt and traitors. "Traitor is a highly objectionable word which is not acceptable to any Pakistani,” he said, adding that it was not only a matter related to the federal government but also the issue of the whole nation. “There is freedom of expression and peaceful protests in the country but the PTI leadership is coming to Islamabad only for Fitna and Fasad as they did in 2014. The Fitna should be nipped in the bud and it will be a big service to the nation,” he maintained.

The minister said had the PTI leadership not talked about a bloody march and spread anarchy, the government could have allowed it to go ahead with its protest. To a question, he said the government had received information that the PTI's march would also include the provincial police.

Minister for Communication and JUIF leader Maulana Asad Mahmood said the PTI leadership would not be given concessions they had enjoyed in 2014. "We have no objection to the constitutional right of peaceful protests but they are talking about a bloody long march,” he said.

Federal Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said the federal cabinet had also condemned the conviction of Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik and the language used by Imran Khan for PMLN leader Maryam Nawaz. Kaira came down hard on the role of President Arif Alvi, saying that instead of fulfilling his constitutional obligations, he was acting as an activist of the PTI. "President Alvi is also responsible for the crisis in the Centre and Punjab,” he claimed. Once again rejecting Imran Khan’s narrative of a conspiracy against him, he asked the PTI leadership to furnish evidence to the media, Parliament or Supreme Court. “We are a part of the coalition government. All decisions in the cabinet are taken with a consensus and we all take responsibility of all the gains and losses,” he added. To a question, he said the government would not have any objection to calling the Pakistan Army to help the civil administration for the protection of Red Zone.

Meanwhile, Rana Sanaullah said, "The killer of policeman Kamal Ahmed is Imran Khan, Sheikh Rashid and his followers.” In a statement, he said that firing on the police had proved that it was neither a political activity nor a peaceful march. He said the law would take its course as Imran Khan was conspiring for civil war in the country under the guise of a march. Police officials would bring the killers of Kamal Ahmed to justice." He added the government would provide the martyrs package to the family.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb questioned the PTI for holding the march and said if it was for elections, Imran Khan should have announced it when he was the prime minister. “And, if the march is against 16pc inflation, then it was the result of their four-year misrule and disastrous policies,” she added.

Addressing Imran, she said, “You were prime minister till April 11, you should have announced elections last month. Now you want anarchy, unrest and lawlessness in the country because you are out of power.”

She said according to intelligence reports, their people were armed and they had gunned down a police constable in Punjab and Imran did not even condemn the act because of his fascist mindset. During the news conference, a footage of the PTI's 2014 protest was also run, when President of China Xi Jinping was coming to Pakistan. She recalled Imran had announced they were coming to Islamabad with peaceful people but the people of Pakistan later witnessed 'criminals' who sat for 126 days with catapults and axes.