ISLAMABAD - Showing his confidence on a planned protest of PTI and expressing doubts over Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) intentions to protest on the same day, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan Thursday said that PTI had been given permission to hold a protest rally on May 11 but with 'certain conditions'.
He said that certain conditions had been set after mutual consultations with PTI. However, he cautioned 'no container politics would be allowed in the heart of the capital where a number of sensitive buildings and government installations were located. "We are ready to face any situation---we have no threat from PTI (that it will derail the system) but we are facing threat from other side," he pointed towards PAT.
While addressing a press conference two days ahead of the PTI's protest at a famous square of the capital, Nisar said that after his meeting with the local administration of Islamabad, the government had decided to give conditional permission to PTI to stage a protest rally and with a lit bit change.
He said PTI had agreed to stage the protest rally the Express Chowk instead of D-Chow, both are adjacent points at the Jinnah Avenue, and the stage would be established 100 years away from Express Chowk.
"PTI will get a written permission for the protest rally," he said adding that the government had neither any confusion nor objection with regard to its protest.
During the entire press conference, the minister showed its confidence over the PTT's protest hoping its protest would be democratic and not a move to demoralize the democratic process and caste his doubts over intentions of Dr Tahirul Qadri party what he said another party was trying to join the protest. At the same time, he showed his muscles that the government was ready to face any untoward law and order situation." We expect that it will be a democratic gathering and PTI will protest as a political party but the life and property of people of Rawalpindi and Islamabad would have to be ensured--," he said. "We are facing threat not from PTI but from another side," he added pointing towards PAT
The minister at the same time added that it had become a tradition to stage protest rallies and sit-ins in the most sensitive areas of the capital where sensitive government organizations were located and this should be discouraged as a handful of people after gathering here used to create disturbance.
He also said that Blue Area of the capital was the economic hub of the capital and as a "drama was played last year and children were brought to the protest venue in the shivering cold, it was injustice not only with them but also with the state," he pointed towards Dr Qadri's protest of last year.
Nisar said that no weapon, fire arms or fireworks would be allowed to bring in the protest rally and all provinces including Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, from where most of the protestors would come, had been asked to ensure this. "If any such thing reconverted from any vehicle, that vehicle would be stopped and would not be allowed to move ahead come what may," he warned and added that no one will be allowed to bring any baton in the protest.
He later avoided a question when asked how people would be stopped to bring party flags having batons.
He said secondly all men and women would be allowed to come in the venue besides infants. "To use children as human shield was injustice with them," he again condemned Dr Qadri' party towards. All vehicles would be stopped in which children would be sitting, he said.
"No one will be allowed to enter the red zone and separate security would be deployed for the zone," he informed adding that sanctity of sensitive areas should not be violated.
The minister said that routes were being specified to reach the venue and no vehicle would be allowed to come beyond Kalsoom International Hospital. He said that there would be separate venue people coming from AJK and Murree side, annd it will be published tomorrow. Similarly, there will be a separate route for the people coming from Punjab and KP. The enclosures for the women at the venue would be separate.
Nisar said that security of Islamabad had been divided into three tears and police as well as Rangers were being deployed for the security of protest rally.
He said that the government would provide containers only for the stage and no one would be authorized to place containers at the venue except the government.
Replying a question, the minister said that Imran Khan's party had no grievances with the government but with the election tribunals, election commission and court, so how the government could address its grievances.
"PTI had also objection with the election coverage of media," he said adding that PML-N was also victimized during general elections by a specific media group by getting published wrong news that NAB had declared Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif as defaulters. He said that Punjab government was giving permission for the protest rally of PAT in Rawalpindi.
Regarding the arrest of FBI's agent in Karachi, he said the accused was FBI agent and FBI was an agency like that of FIA and not like CIA so it was wrong to correlate this incident with the Raymond Davis' case. He further said the accused was posted in Pakistan and further investigations were under way. He ruled out that the government would not suspend mobile phone service on May 11.