November 2 Lockdown: Islamabad not PTI’s estate, says Abid

"The entire Pakistan will remain open on November 2,” says minister

MULTAN: Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali has said the government would not allow Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to lock down Islamabad. “Islamabad is not personal estate of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. The government and the administration of Islamabad will deal with the protestors as per law,” he said while talking to the media on Saturday. “In the past, the government had allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to hold peaceful demonstration, but it backed out on their promise. Now, nobody will be allowed to paralyse the state machinery, lock schools or markets,” Abid said. “The state is well aware of its responsibilities and it will not allow anyone to take the law into its own hands. The entire Pakistan will remain open on November 2,” he added. He said the issue of Panama papers was in the Supreme Court (SC) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf should present its viewpoints before the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2016.