Govt to stop anyone marching on Islamabad ‘in every possible way: Naqvi

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday that the government would stop anyone from marching towards the federal capital “in every possible way,” and warned that contempt of court proceedings would be filed against anyone violating a recent Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruling.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside other officials, Naqvi said the government would not allow anyone to “take law into hands and close federal capital,” and added that “this time, we are clearly communicating the rules of engagement to our personnel.”

His remarks came in response to PTI’s call for nationwide protests on September 27 to demand the release of party founder Imran Khan and to push for what it calls the supremacy of the Constitution.

The press conference followed a terrorist attack earlier in the day at Kohat Police Lines in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in which an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque inside the police compound before armed attackers attempted to storm the facility.

Officials said seven attackers took part, six of whom were killed during the clearance operation. The attack left 16 people dead, including five police officers, and more than 50 injured.

Referring to the attack, Naqvi turned his attention to KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, telling him: “You may certainly stage protests in your own area, but an attack on any province is unacceptable.”

He said the province should instead be focused on fighting terrorism.

“It does not befit you to carry the coffins of martyrs on one hand and prepare for sit-ins,” he said, adding that after such incidents, it did not suit provincial leaders to call for long marches while also having to bury the dead.

He said the KP chief minister and his cabinet should pursue the eradication of terrorism with the same energy they were putting into organising long marches.

Naqvi also urged opposition leaders to stop “mobilising people, collecting funds and arranging transport” for protests, warning that “if even one life is lost, those responsible will be the organisers who are bringing this group together.”

He said political confrontation at this time would harm both the economy and society.

Separately, KP Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed said the clearance operation in Kohat would continue “until the complete elimination of Fitna-ul-Khawarij,” adding that police morale remained high. President Asif Ali Zardari said the complete elimination of “foreign-sponsored terrorists” was essential for national security, while Naqvi said the attackers’ “cowardly acts cannot weaken the nation’s resolve.”