Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said on Thursday that the federal government and PTI were engaged in “off-the-record talks” regarding PTI’s planned protest on October 4.
Sanaullah made the remarks while appearing in Geo News’ morning show “Geo Pakistan”.
Sanaullah said that the decision on the proposed march rested with PTI’s senior leadership, “with whom off-the-record consultation is ongoing”.
“So let us see, even if they do not postpone it, we have arrangements in place to stop them,” Sanaullah warned.
He likened the PTI’s march to a “provincial government attacking the capital” in an apparent reference to the PTI-led government in KP.
“If a political party or a private organisation stages a protest, [..] but for a government to attack [..] it cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” he held.
“The law will be enacted in full force, and they (PTI) will be barred from entering Islamabad,” he added.
Responding to a question about governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sanaullah on Thursday said that the option was “on the table”.
Sanaullah further clarified that the federal government was in talks with coalition parties about imposing governor’s rule in KP. He added that the final decision rested upon the federal government and the Senate, adding that it would only come into effect with parliament’s approval.
Sanaullah alleged that the KP CM had not been performing his functions as the province’s chief executive.
“For the past two months, he has not done anything, nothing about development or counter-terrorism efforts or for the welfare of people [..] in fact, all he has done is talk about marching to Islamabad and toppling the federal government.
“They want to take ladders to Islamabad to secure the release of a certain someone,” he added.
Sanaullah reiterated that if a province is “engaged in such illegal and unconstitutional activities, then the Centre has the right to declare emergency or governor rule and assume power”.
The Oct 4 march — which the PTI has announced as part of its nationwide protest to demand the release of its founder, Imran Khan — remains a major bone of contention between the government and the main opposition party, with both taking entrenched positions.
Originally scheduled for Sept 27, the march was postponed to Oct 4 last week.
On its part, the government has been adamant that it would not allow the party to block roads and disrupt routine life.
To back their resolve, authorities had taken extraordinary security measures to ensure that the proposed march never made it to the capital, including blocking bridges, roads and motorways leading to the twin cities.
It has also threatened to send the PTI government in KP packing by imposing governor’s rule or an emergency if the provincial leadership does not withdraw its plan to march on Islamabad on Oct 4. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said on Wednesday that the federal government was “seriously considering” imposing an emergency in KP.
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