ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has decided not to allow PTI to hold its long march to avoid the spread of “fitna” and “fasad”, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah announced Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he said the government would not allow the PTI to spread “chaos and disorder” in the guise of the march. “They will be stopped so they cannot propagate their misleading agenda.”
“These people (PTI) have moved from abuses to bullets. A police constable was killed in Lahore.”
He was referring to Constable Kamal Ahmad who was gunned down last night during a police raid in Lahore’s Model Town.
The interior minister claimed that the PTI leadership had gathered in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and was planning to use the province’s resources and personnel to “come and attack the federation”.
“They want to come as a mob that has no legal or constitutional status … this cannot be allowed.”
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan wanted to divide the nation, he added. “Don’t be misled by Imran Khan. He directed his party members during rallies to call people from other parties robbers and traitors. This is how he wants to spread chaos and disorder.”
Sanaullah said everyone had the right of freedom of expression and peaceful protest, however, the PTI did not want a peaceful protest. “Had they not called it a march and talked about spreading anarchy, we would not have stopped them.”
He vowed to protect the lives and properties of the capital’s people “at all costs”.
