Pakistani prime minister’s adviser says talks with PTI on protest are underway — Dawn

In Pakistan, the federal government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party are holding off-the-record talks over a protest march to Islamabad scheduled for October 4. Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs, said this on Geo News, Dawn reports.

According to Sanaullah, the decision on whether to hold or postpone the march depends on PTI’s top leadership, with whom consultations are ongoing. He added that the authorities are prepared to prevent participants from entering the capital if the party does not postpone the protest.

Government position

Sanaullah compared the planned march to actions by a provincial government against the capital, referring to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration led by PTI. According to him, a protest by a political party or private organization differs from a situation in which a provincial government heads toward Islamabad.

The adviser also said that the law would be applied in full and that PTI would not be allowed to enter Islamabad. The authorities have already taken heightened security measures, including blocking bridges, roads and highways leading to Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

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Governor’s rule

Responding to a question about the possibility of imposing governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sanaullah said that this option is being considered. According to him, the federal government is discussing the matter with coalition parties, and the final decision will depend on the federal government and the Senate and will take effect only after parliamentary approval.

Sanaullah accused the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of improperly performing his duties. He claimed that for the past two months, the chief minister had not addressed the province’s development, counterterrorism or the welfare of the population, but instead spoke about a march to Islamabad and the overthrow of the federal government.

The adviser said that if the provincial authorities take illegal and unconstitutional actions, the center may impose an emergency or governor’s rule. PTI announced the march as part of a nationwide campaign demanding the release of party founder Imran Khan. The event was initially planned for September 27 but was later postponed to October 4.