FM Asserts Federating Units Have No Authority to March on Islamabad; Criticizes KP Government for Misusing Public Resources
ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has dismissed allegations from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that law enforcement agencies (LEAs) used “live ammunition” on civilians during its recent “do-or-die” protest in Islamabad. Dar clarified that the deployed LEAs were equipped only with water cannons, tear gas, and batons, not firearms.
“Police and Rangers were stationed as the primary and secondary defense lines, while the military acted as a tertiary layer to safeguard the Diplomatic Enclave, Parliament House, and other vital infrastructure,” Dar stated during a briefing to foreign diplomats about the fallout from the PTI protest.
The demonstration, which aimed to demand the release of PTI founder Imran Khan—imprisoned for over a year—ended abruptly following a government-led crackdown in the middle of the night.
PTI has alleged that 12 of its members were killed and over 1,000 detained during the event. However, the government categorically denied these claims, asserting that LEAs did not use live ammunition. The government also reported the deaths of four LEA personnel, including three Rangers and one police officer, during the protests.
Dar, who also serves as Deputy Prime Minister, informed diplomats about the recently enacted Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act, 2024, which prohibits protests in Islamabad’s Red Zone and mandates magistrate approval for public gatherings. He explained that the government’s actions were in line with a directive from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), which barred PTI from holding any demonstrations in the Red Zone.
In compliance with the court’s ruling, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had reached out to PTI for discussions, but no agreement was reached.
Dar highlighted the importance of maintaining the Red Zone’s security, as it houses key institutions like the Parliament House, Supreme Court, federal offices, and diplomatic missions.
He criticized PTI for staging their protest on November 24, coinciding with the scheduled visit of the Belarusian president. This, he said, was consistent with the party’s alleged “pattern of disruptive timing,” referencing incidents like their 2014 protests, which delayed a visit by the Chinese president, and their actions during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit earlier this year.
Dar also pointed out that while the Supreme Court dismissed PTI’s allegations of electoral rigging in 35 National Assembly constituencies—claims that had fueled their 2014 sit-in—the party never fulfilled its written promise to apologize for misleading the public.
Despite the government’s offer of an alternative protest site in Sangjani, PTI insisted on advancing into the Red Zone. Dar argued that exercising democratic rights should not lead to chaos or threaten public and diplomatic safety.
He emphasized the government’s restraint, noting that LEAs had been deliberately restricted to non-lethal measures such as water cannons and tear gas.
Finally, Dar questioned the legality of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s use of public funds to organize the protest march, asserting that no federating unit has the constitutional authority to stage such an act against the federal capital.
