Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday cautioned marchers of bothPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) against entering Islamabad’s Red Zone, a highly-fortified area which houses key government offices and foreign embassies.
“The Red Zone is a red line… anyone who tries to breach the prohibited zone will be sternly dealt with,” he said at a news conference in the federal capital.
Talking to reporters, Nisar said any security breach could pose serious threats. “We have reports from military agencies stating two suicide bombers are in the federal capital and will try to target the [PTI and PAT] rallies,” he said, adding that he was not trying to create a scare.
On the other hand, the minister admitted that both PTI and PAT had so far honoured the assurances they gave the district administration before being allowed to hold their rallies. He said he was satisfied with the cooperation between the district authorities and PAT workers in particular. Among the conditions the two parties agreed upon was a ban on carrying weapons and attempting to enter the Red Zone.
Answering a question, Nisar said PTI and PAT were responsible for maintaining cleanliness at the venues for their respective rallies. He said the marchers have not been allowed to stay at the venues indefinitely and joked that residents of the twin cities may be compelled to stage a sit-in of their own if workers of the PTI and PAT prolonged their stay.
The minister said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government could have opted to challenge orders passed by the Lahore High Court to allow the two marches, but chose not to do so since it respected citizens’ rights to hold peaceful demonstrations.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2014.
COMMENTS (16)
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@Blithe: A drowning man,catches at a straw.Just loving how a miscreant like TuQ made your so called leader go chicken.The same TuQ was reduced to nothing in PPP's tenure.Goes on to show somethings can never change or improve,mental capacity of NS is one of them.Life would have been easier for him if it wasn't for his I.Q of a lemon and having support of well wishers of your kind
Hey blithe and ch. Allahdaad..are you paid by pmln to comment on every pmln news? seems like govt is more of an anarchist. Protesting is a democratic right..why do you need rubber bullets and water cannons for peaceful protesters? They are no criminals!!!
As per independent journalist the crowds were 10k for PTI and 12k for PAT. So Imran with ten thousand followers and Qadri with 12,000 followers want to overthrow a govt elected by crores of people of Pakistan? Good Luck! Whoever advised IK to do political suicide should be hanged first.
PAT + PTI are hungry for power. They can go to any extreme. They have brainwashed their followers and they will use them to cause instability. Government should deal them strictly, if in case they try to cross red line.
@Swat wala: I think Kadam e Ala bestowed Mr. Daad with a laptop.
Red Zone...Red Line...Red Mosque.. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pakistan is a commie country.
@Qandi Gul: Days of Remnants of Musharraf Tola are over
Nisar should draw a circle around himself. A green one. And stay inside it.
@Ch. Allah Daad: You should be held responsible for assaulting readers with ridiculous comments. Who gave you a computer?
@Qais: That's what I was thinking too. The entire American fleet needs to go to Raiwind. I've heard there's alot of individuals suffering from Insomnia there.
@Ch. Allah Daad: Agree with you. TuQ especially should never been allowed to come with his rabble to Isloo to begin with.
Days of the punjabi establishment are over.
Where are American drones when you need them?
When both anarchist clearly said that they will not accept anything less than resignation of elected Prime Minister, long marchers should have never been allowed to enter Islamabad. Some fools in government and some brokers who facilitated their long march should be held responsible, if things go out of control.
Water canon, tear gas and rubber bullets.
You are dealing with two maniacs with cult following and both of them have scant regard for rule of law.