Naqvi warns PTI against September 27 march

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has urged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to reconsider its planned September 27 protest and long march towards Islamabad. He said the government had made its position clear and advised the party to avoid taking a step that could create further tension.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lahore, Naqvi said the government would enforce the Islamabad High Court’s directions if PTI proceeded with the march. The court has ruled that political parties cannot occupy public roads, highways or other public places in a way that disrupts citizens’ movement. It has also directed provincial governments to prevent the use of state resources for protests.

Naqvi said the government would not leave any gaps in its response if the protest went ahead. He claimed that a large section of PTI’s leadership was not in favour of the planned march. He also appealed to the party leadership to reconsider its strategy and avoid putting its workers at risk.

The minister said the government was looking for a lasting approach to deal with repeated protest calls. He indicated that the authorities did not want the issue to remain unresolved after the September 27 mobilisation.

On Imran Khan’s medical treatment, Naqvi said PTI had been demanding a hospital check-up for its incarcerated founder. He suggested that a medical examination may already have taken place at a hospital during the night. He added that any treatment required under the law would be provided according to legal procedures, rather than simply on the basis of political demands.

Naqvi also commented on the campaign for creating new provinces. He said the movement was gaining momentum and attracting increasing participation from traders, chambers and members of the public.

According to the interior minister, the growing public involvement showed that the demand for new provinces was moving forward rapidly. He said new provinces could eventually be created if there was public support for the initiative.