ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Prime Minister\u2019s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah contended on Saturday that everyone had a constitutional and legal right to protest, but Islamabad should be off-limits for demonstrations and urged people to \u201cend the practice\u201d of staging long marches and protests in the federal capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PTI had been gearing up for a nationwide protest and march towards Islamabad to press for the release of its founder, Imran Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Rawalpindi\u2019s Adiala jail. However, the party announced a day ago that the march has been postponed to Oct 4.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) had also launched a march towards Islamabad against the petroleum levy, but it postponed the move at the request of PM Shehbaz Sharif, pending a meeting with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf anyone needs to protest, they can do so in Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Karachi, Peshawar, or Multan. This practice needs to end,\u201d Sanaullah said on Geo News programme \u2018Jirga\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He pointed out that the ban on protests in Islamabad did not apply only to the PTI. Gatherings in the capital without prior permission are also banned under the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024, which had been rushed through the National Assembly ahead of a PTI gathering that month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeaceful protest is everyone\u2019s constitutional and legal right, but they need to minus Islamabad from that,\u201d Sanaullah stated. \u201cIt is everyone\u2019s right, but minus attacks on Islamabad. This must be ensured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He highlighted that a message had been sent that no protests would be allowed within Islamabad, as foreign diplomats were present in the federal capital and demonstrations would send a \u201cbad message\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PML-N leader accused PTI of aiming to overthrow the government, alleging that their goal is to \u201cerect ladders next to the walls of Adiala jail and break in to meet Imran Khan\u201d, who has been incarcerated there since an Aug 5, 2023 conviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow is this peaceful?\u201d Sanaullah asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cParty leaders have been threatening to overthrow the government or free someone from jail and then go back,\u201d he outlined. \u201cPermission for a long march will not be granted if this is their intent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PM\u2019s aide stressed that no streets in Islamabad, besides those in the Red Zone and the M-1 Motorway, were shut for traffic. He clarified that containers had only been placed \u201cat the corners\u201d of the city\u2019s roads for \u201csafety\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are containers on every corner of Islamabad, but as we speak right now, no roads have been closed with them,\u201d he said, explaining that containers have been placed at those points so they can be deployed as and when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe situation in Islamabad is not as it is being described in the media,\u201d he asserted, noting that some were referring to the capital as a \u201ccontainer city\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The PM\u2019s aide stressed that PTI also did not submit any application to the Islamabad administration seeking permission for a gathering, nor inform it of its expected time and duration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sanaullah added that PTI should approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) and provide their \u201crequired guarantees\u201d, contending that they did not intend to do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked if the authorities\u2019 response to any march would be similar to the Nov 26, 2024 crackdown on PTI\u2019s \u2019Final Call\u2019 protest, Sanaullah said he did not want to \u201csay any such thing\u201d as there were fellow Pakistanis, friends and colleagues in the party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, he warned that PTI \u201cshould not hold such a march at any cost that would attempt to push back law enforcement agencies and move towards D-Chowk\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnder no circumstance will they be granted access,\u201d Sanaullah warned, cautioning PTI supporters against using force, noting that such an action, in the wake of IHC\u2019s recent ruling, would provide authorities with \u201clegal backing\u201d to respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hearing a plea against the planned march, the IHC on September 14 ruled that no political party or its leadership has the \u201clawful right to occupy public roads, highways, interchanges, toll plazas and buildings in Islamabad\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meanwhile, in the Rawalpindi Division and the federal capital territory, security measures and preparations to deal with any emergency situation remain in place despite the postponement of the march.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Punjab had already imposed a ban on gatherings across the province until Oct 5 and prohibited inciting people to \u201cunlawful assembly\u201d. A similar ban under Section 144 has been enforced in Islamabad for two months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The federal government has also approved the deployment of Rangers in Islamabad and several districts of Punjab from Sept 20 to Oct 5.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD(National Times)- Prime Minister\u2019s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah contended on Saturday that everyone had a constitutional and legal right to protest, but Islamabad should be off-limits for demonstrations and urged people to \u201cend the practice\u201d of staging long marches and protests in the federal capital. PTI had been gearing up for a nationwide […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133886,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest_news","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n