Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday warned the government will not permit any “violent” group to reach Islamabad or block roads, as the government ramped up preparations to tackle planned marches on the federal capital with increased police deployments.
Tarar told journalists the planned protests by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had both legal and administrative aspects, noting the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had clearly ruled against road closures and disruption to public movement. He said it was now the responsibility of the administration to ensure no such disruption took place. “No violent group will be allowed to reach Islamabad,” he said, maintaining the administration, police, and the entire government was clear on this.
The minister said the government was continuing engagements with the JI. He said the party was peaceful and flexible but stressed the law applied equally to everyone and roads could not be blocked.
Also on Sunday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said recent statements by PTI leaders suggested the party was planning violence during its upcoming protest. Appearing on a private television channel, he referred to a speech by PTI KP President Junaid Akbar, who had threatened to make Islamabad “Somnath.”
The reference to India’s Somnath Temple appeared aimed at evoking an attack on it by Mahmud Ghazni in 1026. Chaudhry said such remarks were a blatant threat, adding the government has a responsibility to protect the federal capital, maintain peace and ensure normal life is not disrupted.
“Islamabad is the city of all Pakistanis, and no one will be allowed to deteriorate its law-and-order situation,” he said, while noting the JI had no history of turning violent or undermining law and order and the government did not consider its march a risk.
Meanwhile, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry warned that anyone resorting to terrorism during protests in Islamabad would not be permitted to return. “If you are a peaceful citizen, come to Islamabad from any route, come 100 times,” he said, reiterating that the government would fully implement the Islamabad High Court’s orders.
He also criticized the situation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, saying those planning the protest had failed to stop terrorism in the province and had been unable to ensure adequate health and education facilities. “They say they will turn Islamabad into ruins. We know they have turned KP into ruins,” he claimed, maintaining such thinking cannot continue.
Police deployment
Ahead of the planned protests, the federal government plans to deploy over 22,000 security personnel in Islamabad, and over 30,000 in the Attock district that connects Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab.
Authorities have also started placing shipping containers on the sides of highways and open spaces. These would be used to block entry points to prevent possible protests and rallies to reach the twin cities.