The interior ministry on Thursday wrote to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary to ensure that state machinery, equipment or finances were not used for PTI’s power show planned for November 24 (Sunday). It also ruled out any talks with the PTI
PTI founder and ex-premier Imran Khan issued a “final call” for the Sunday protest last week, denouncing what he described as the stolen mandate, the unjust arrests of people, and the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which he said has strengthened a “dictatorial regime”.
Since Imran’s arrest in August 2023 on several counts, his party has been holding protests across the country for his release and against the alleged rigging of the Feb 8 elections.
A letter from the interior ministry to KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry today, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, stated “Protest call on November 24” as its subject, specifying the PTI as the organiser later.
It asked Chaudhry to ensure that the KP government “does not utilise state machinery, equipment, officials or finances for political protest by the political party”.
Separately, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said while speaking to the media outside the Islamabad High Court today that there would be no negotiations with the PTI as long as it continued “hurling threats”.
“Negotiations do not happen through threats,” he said. “Personally, I am in favour of talks with any party. However, threatening us and then asking us to come to the table is unacceptable.”
When asked if there was a deadline for negotiations, the minister replied: “There need to be negotiations for there to be a deadline. Since there are no negotiations, there is no deadline.”
Talking about the PTI’s upcoming protest, Naqvi said, “The chief justice called the secretary, the chief commissioner, the inspector general of police and myself. We will enforce his order.”
The interior minister further said that the timing of the upcoming rally coincided with a visit by a Belarusian delegation. “We had a similar situation during the SCO summit,” he said. “A delegation from Belarus is coming on Nov 24, while the Belarusian president will come on Nov 25.”
The trip will last for three days, Naqvi added.
“Protecting foreign dignitaries is our priority,” he said. “We also need to protect Islamabad and its people, therefore we will not allow a protest or procession without permission.”
Naqvi added that the interior ministry had made arrangements for the protest with the Frontier Constabulary, Rangers and the Islamabad and Punjab police forces.
“Nobody is stopping them (PTI) from protesting, but coming to Islamabad and protesting when a foreign delegation is visiting … during such an important time for the country … the public can reach the conclusion that this is a terrible idea,” he said.
The interior ministry’s directives come a day after the government approved the deployment of both Pakistan Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel in Islamabad from November 22 onwards to “handle” the law and order situation, ahead of the planned power show.
The notification said the exact number of personnel and the date and area of their deployment would be “worked out in consultation with concerned stakeholders”. Similarly, the date of de-requisitioning would be decided after mutually consulting all relevant stakeholders.
The federal and Punjab governments have decided to take strict measures to deal with the PTI’s call. The police have been placed on “high alert” throughout Punjab while Section 144 has been extended in the federal capital for two more months, in addition to heavy security arrangements.
The government’s concerns about the usage of state machinery emerged when last month, around two dozen KP cops were among 1,000 PTI supporters arrested by the Rawalpindi and Islamabad police during the PTI’s October 5 D-Chowk protest.
Following a simultaneous protest in Punjab, the Attock police had also arrested as many as 11 KP policemen who were participating in the PTI’s march.
Sources had told Dawn that more than 40 Rescue 1122 vehicles and 120 of its personnel accompanied the PTI procession coming from Peshawar to Islamabad for the rally. The Punjab police had arrested 41 of the rescue personnel and took into possession 17 of the vehicles.
Section 144 imposed in Rawalpindi till Nov 26
Separately, it emerged today that Section 144 has been imposed in Rawalpindi till Nov 26 due to “the fear of terrorism”, according to a notification issued by the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner’s (DC) office, dated Wednesday.
Section 144 is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period.
The notification, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, cites “specific intelligence suggesting that certain groups and elements are actively mobilising with intentions to disturb the and order situation through large gatherings, protests and disruptive assemblies”.
An emergency meeting of the District Intelligence Committee chaired by Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema was held on Wednesday, according to the notification, adding that the meeting held that there was “an imminent threat” within the limits of Rawalpindi district, particularly surrounding sensitive installations, including Adiala Jail, that could pose a threat to human life, public property and overall peace and order.
The notification banned all kinds of assemblies, gatherings, sit-ins, rallies, processions, demonstrations, protests and other such activities, excluding religious gatherings.
The carrying of weapons, spikes, laden batons, ball bearings, petrol bombs, improvised explosives or any other instrument that could potentially be used for violence was also banned.
It also prohibited any attempt to remove any restriction imposed by a police office to regulate the assembly of persons or movement of traffic.
The notification said the order would remain in place for seven days from Nov 20- 26.
Law enforcement agencies have planned to “lay a virtual siege” to the garrison city by sealing it from 50 points to prevent PTI workers from entering the federal capital territory on November 24.
A senior police official confirmed that the Rawalpindi will be sealed from 50 points with freight shipping containers, razors and barbed wires as the district police, including Elite Force commandos, will be deployed and nobody will be allowed to stage any protest.
PTI’s central information secretary Sheikh Waqqas Akram has asserted that despite alleged offers for talks with the ‘powers that be’, the party’s planned power show would proceed until their goals are achieved.
He said the PTI would continue its preparations for the protest even if negotiations about their demands were initiated. “Khan sahib has issued clear instructions to continue preparations for the protest until our goals are achieved,” he added.
On the other hand, police have launched a crackdown on PTI local leaders and workers which began on Tuesday night and have so far rounded up more than 30 workers and activists.
Police have been considering avoiding using water cannons and rubber bullets against the PTI protesters, if they try to engage the police in any part of the city. The main showdown is expected to take place in Attock district — the border area of KP and Punjab.
