ISLAMABAD - Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said that the government could not remove containers unless Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri gave written guarantees that they would be responsible if any security mishap took place.
Condemning the other day’s tirade of PTI chief Imran Khan against the family members of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan asked Imran Khan, “The government is ready to accept your overwhelming demands but in the presence of some guarantors.” He said any one could be made guarantor including the judiciary.
Addressing a press conference at the Punjab House here, Nisar also said that the government had no objection to meet those demands that were within the ambit of law and constitution but no one would be allowed to storm the important government installations in the Red Zone. The minister said that his message was for both protesting parties - PTI and PAT.
Nisar said that he was facing pressure of the state to maintain law and order situation in the federal capital and zero tolerance would be observed if any one stormed into any important government installation in the Red Zone.
He, however, refused to give any plan of action of the government in case the protestors did not end their sit-in.
He also made it clear that the government was ready to remove containers from the Red Zone if Imran and Qadri take responsibility in black and white of security of their crowds.
He explained that the containers had been placed for the security of the protesting parties as well as for the important government installations as the military intelligence agencies had issued serious security alerts.
“Military Intelligence and ISI have issued serious security threats and I have talked today with a senior level officer of ISI in this connection,” he added. He said ISI had informed about a loaded vehicle of explosive material. He rejected the allegations of PTI and PAT that containers had been placed to restrict their workers’ entry into Red Zone.
The minister said that both the parties violated the written agreement made with the government by entering into Red Zone. “I was not in favour of both the protesting parties enter into Red Zone, the security agencies are not too weak to stop them but PM decided to give them a clear way,” he informed.
“And now Parliament was obstructed, Cabinet Secretariat was obstructed, two judges of the Supreme Court were not allowed to make their way, the protesters littered and there is foul smell of open lavatories in the area,” the minister lashed out at the protesting parties.
He appreciated the role of the Punjab police for providing security to the protestors. He clarified that Islamabad IGP had not been removed from his post over his refusal for not taking action against the protestors and said he had been relieved from his duty on his personal request.
“IGP had given application for leave and we have approved it,” he said.
Replying to a question about the allegation of Imran Khan that the interior minister himself accepted on the floor of the National Assembly that 60 to 70 thousand votes in each constituency were not verifiable, Nisar said he had asked that such votes could not be verified as magnetic ink thumb impressions had a time limit for verification.  He said that no country in world ever used magnetic ink in elections besides Pakistan. He also said that member Election Commission of Pakistan Justice (retd) Riaz Kayani had no relation with PML-N as he was secretary law in the PPP regime.
He also condemned PTI chief for levelling allegations against Secretary Interior Shahid Khan.
GOVT WILLING TO RESOLVE ISSUES: KH ASIF
Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khawaja Asif on Friday said the government wanted to solve issues with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) amicably as soon as possible.
Talking to media outside the Parliament House, he said, “We want to solve issues with PTI and PAT under the ambit of constitution and law of the country without any delay.”
He urged PAT and PTI to have faith in the sincere efforts of the government in defusing tension right now. He said, opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah is a respectable person and his proposal of putting the resignation demand of the Prime Minister should at the last in the PTI’s demand list.
The Minister said due to the sit-ins, billions of dollars development projects are on hold. He said the stock exchange has already crashed and the country suffered billion of rupees loss. To a question, he said, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will not resign on the demand of PTI and PAT.
He said the procedure of removing the Prime Minister has been laid down in the constitution, if the protesting parties have majority they should follow the constitutional procedure.