Rangers, FC to ‘protect’ Parliament House on no-trust day

JUI-F chief calls off plans to block major roads country after release of activists, MNAs

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government on Friday decided to deploy the Punjab Rangers and Frontier Corps to “protect” the Parliament Lodges, Parliament House, and the old MNA House on the day of the no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid told this to the media at a news conference in the federal capital, a day after an operation by the Islamabad police at the Parliament Lodges against Ansarul Islam -- the JUI-F’s uniformed volunteer force, which was in building to "provide security" to the party’s lawmakers.

The police had stormed the Parliament Lodges and arrested JUI-F MNA Salahuddin Ayubi, MNA Maulana Jamaluddin and 19 others.

After the police released the JUI-F activists and leaders detained during the operation, party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also head the opposition alliance the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), called off plans to block major thoroughfares across the country.

Speaking at the news conference, Rashid said he had also directed the chief secretary and the police chief of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to ensure that “militia” members of Ansarul Islam did not reach Islamabad in uniforms.

He added that the government had taken action in Mardan and Nowshera as well. The minister warned that no "uniformed volunteer" would be allowed to enter Islamabad at any cost.

Rashid claimed as a result of the scuffle with the JUI-F volunteers, at least five police officials were injured whereas the government also suspended six cops over negligence.

He maintained that JUI-F leader Kamran Murtaza had used "filthy language" against police officials, but the cops still remained cordial.

The minister further claimed that the police had not arrested any lawmakers as they went with the cops out of their own free will.

According to Rashid, the inquiry report over the incident by the district commissioner would be submitted within 48 hours.

The minister said the government had not registered cases against the JUI-F activists under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, but next time it would not be so “considerate”.

Read Fazl again urges Shujaat to support no-trust move

He added the government would deal with an iron hand if anyone, even if it was a political party leader, tried to take the law into their hands.

“If anyone from the opposition needs security, then they should ask the government. It government] would provide foolproof security.”

Rashid said he did not want to create panic but there were reports about security threats to Fazl and himself.

He also requested the JUI-F chief "not to bring students of seminaries" to Islamabad.

The minister also claimed that the opposition was trying to run away from the no-confidence motion as they "did not have the numbers" to defeat the premier.

“The opposition is resorting to such tactics ahead of the no-trust vote to sabotage the no-confidence motion by creating chaos in Islamabad.”

Separately, Fazl, while addressing his party activists and supporters, said there was no need to block roads since all the workers and the MNAs of the party had been released before dawn.

He further congratulated the people and said he was grateful to the activists of the JUI-F and other parties for the "victory and for responding to the call, giving an immediate response and shutting down the country in less than an hour".

The JUI-F chief added that the Islamabad police were violating all laws and ethics by raiding the Parliament Lodges.

“They [Islamabad police] unjustifiably tortured and dragging elected representatives of the nation and arresting them and their guests,” he claimed.

“By putting a false picture of the incident and a statement based on lies in front of the nation, he [the prime minister] tried his cover up his dark character in the pages of history.”