Any Life Lost During Long March, Afridi Responsible: Naqvi
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi says political protest can continue within legal limits, but warns that any attempt to force entry into Islamabad will face action and holds KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi responsible for ensuring the march remains peaceful.
ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has issued a fresh warning over the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led long march, saying protesters are free to exercise their political rights but will not be permitted to force their way into the federal capital.
Naqvi said the government would not object to lawful political protest but maintained that Islamabad could not repeatedly be subjected to disruptive marches. He said authorities wanted the recurring episode of attempts to enter and shut down the capital to come to an end.
Action Against Law Violations
The interior minister also warned that action would be taken against anyone found violating the law, regardless of whether the individual was a political worker or politician. He indicated that authorities could pursue alleged violations committed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as well as outside the province.
Naqvi placed particular responsibility on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Khan Afridi, saying that if any human life was lost during the long march, responsibility would rest with the chief minister. The statement represents the federal government’s position and should not be read as a legal determination of liability.
PTI, Government Remain at Odds
The warning comes as PTI and the federal government remain at odds over the planned march. Talks aimed at resolving the dispute ended without an agreement, while Afridi has maintained the march plan and presented a series of demands to the federal government.
Afridi’s publicly reported proposals include issues relating to meetings and legal and medical facilities for Imran Khan and other prisoners, political dialogue and consultations between the federal and provincial governments over the security situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. PTI has said it would cancel the current march if written assurances were provided on agreed measures.
Naqvi has previously taken a similar position, saying the government would act according to law and court directions if protesters attempted to enter Islamabad, while arguing that repeated long marches could not be allowed to bring the capital to a standstill.
The competing statements underline continuing political tensions between the federal government and the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government as the long march proceeds.
