Nisar asks PTI to return to negotiating table after November 30 rally

Interior minister also reiterated that there is no presence of ISIS militants in Pakistan

TAXILA: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar on Saturday said he would invite the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to the negotiating table after the November 30 rally  if it is held in a 'peaceful' manner. 

The interior minister reiterated the government's stance on PTI's scheduled rally on November 30, saying the government will not object to the rally as long as it does not turn violent.

"The conditions put forth on rallies or sit-ins do not come from me or the interior ministry, they are taken from the law and Constitution," the interior minister said.

"If the rally is peaceful, we will have no objection to it."

"If a jalsa  does take place in Islamabad, permission for it to take place should be taken by means of the law, not from me," he added.

He said PTI deems itself to be a just and law-abiding party, therefore it should hold a peaceful rally.

Nisar referred to the manner in which the sit-ins in the capital in August took a violent turn, saying, "We faced difficult circumstances on August 31. We had disarmed the police, who in turn had to face armed protesters."

Rejecting reports of ISIS in Pakistan

The interior minister also clarified that "there is no presence of ISIS militants in Pakistan."

"I will repeat what I said again, ISIS is an arab-based organisation, whose presence up till now is not in Pakistan," Nisar said.

He said there were already several other militant groups present in the county, and if ISIS was not, there was no need to add to the country's already negative reputation in terms of militancy.