In briefing to envoys, Dar pokes hole in PTI's live fire claims

In a move to counter the PTI's allegation that law enforcement agencies directly fired on the protesters on Nov 26, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said the allegation lacked substance as security personnel were not equipped with live ammunition and were only allowed to use water cannon, tear gas and batons.

Briefing members of the diplomatic corps on the situation caused by the protesters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the deputy prime minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensure security of the red zone.

The deputy prime minister said the government had enacted a new law: "Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024" that barred protest demonstrations in the red zone and required permission from a magistrate for any public gathering.

Explaining why the government resorted to certain actions against the protestors, he said the Islamabad High Court had barred the PTI from holding any protest gathering in the red zone. In pursuance of the court ruling, the government had tasked Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to engage with the party but the efforts remained unsuccessful.

He said the federal government always prioritised the red zone's security which housed the Parliament House, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, federal institutions and the diplomatic corps.

Dar informed diplomats that the PTI planned a protest on November 24, coinciding with the scheduled visit of the Belarusian president. He highlighted this as part of the party's recurring practice of organizing protests on critical occasions, citing examples such as the SCO summit earlier this year and the 2014 protests that delayed the Chinese president's visit.

He recalled that the Supreme Court had dismissed PTI's claims of rigging in 35 National Assembly seats – the primary reason behind the 2014 sit-in – yet the party never apologised, despite having committed to do so in a written agreement with the government.

Dar explained that the PTI stubbornly attempted to march into the Red Zone, despite the government's offer of designating an alternative protest site in Sangjani. He emphasized that freedoms and human rights should not be exercised in ways that cause lawlessness and endanger the lives and property of both Pakistanis and the diplomatic corps.

The deputy prime minister highlighted that the government had shown restraint, as law enforcement agencies were only equipped with water cannons and tear gas, not live ammunition. The police and Rangers were deployed in the first two tiers, with the army as the third line of defense to protect the Diplomatic Enclave, Parliament House, the Prime Minister's House, and other important buildings.

Dar also questioned the legality of the K-P government using public resources to stage a march on the federal capital, asserting that no federating unit had the right to do so.