Govt issues major warning ahead of PTI’s October 4 long march
Govt warns of constitutional measures
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said the federal government was closely watching the situation ahead of the planned protest.
Speaking on Geo News programme "Capital Talk", Sanaullah said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been briefed about the current political situation.
He said the Constitution allowed the federal government to consider measures including governor’s rule or an emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The remarks came as tensions increased between the federal government and the PTI-led KP government.
A federal minister also said the government was “seriously considering” an emergency in KP under Article 232, linking the proposal to the security situation in the province.
Sanaullah said talks between the federal and provincial sides had continued informally.
He said the federal government wanted the KP government to distance itself from what he described as an “illegal and unconstitutional campaign”.
PTI defends right to protest
PTI leader Malik Aamir Dogar rejected the government’s position and questioned whether peaceful political activity should be treated as a crime.
Appearing on the same programme, Dogar said the party had the right to raise its voice for its demands and hold a peaceful march.
He also rejected claims that PTI wanted to create disorder or bring “armed groups” to Islamabad.
Read Also: Punjab seeks Rangers deployment ahead of PTI long march
Dogar said the party should face legal action if it crossed constitutional or legal limits. However, he maintained that the planned protest did not fall into that category.
He further claimed that seven PTI members of the National Assembly and more than 10 provincial assembly members were either in jail or missing.
He also claimed that three provincial ministers were imprisoned or missing.
October 4 march remains planned
PTI had earlier moved its Islamabad long march from September 27 to October 4. KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi had announced that the march would leave Peshawar on October 4.
The party has said the protest is linked to demands for the release of Imran Khan and what it describes as the restoration of constitutional supremacy.
PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai recently warned that the possibility of emergency rule made further delay worth considering, although other party leaders have described the October 4 date as final.
Government and PTI remain divided
Sanaullah said KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi could have instructed PTI workers to stop wherever police blocked their route.
He argued that such a step could have prevented confrontation and removed the need for containers.
The government has also previously taken security measures ahead of PTI protests, including Rangers deployment in Islamabad and parts of Punjab.
