‘Carrot and stick’ dangled before PTI ahead of march
• Message conveyed to party that capital protest will not be allowed, come what may • Party cadres remain in the dark, as CM Afridi expected to unveil strategy tomorrow • Insiders say govt has offered to shift Imran, Bushra out of prison, allow meeting with family if march is called off • Minister denies offering any ‘confidence-building measures’ ISLAMABAD: The PTI, which is expected to come out…
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is set to unveil its plan for the Sept 27 protest in Islamabad, but the federal government has made it clear that it will not allow the march to take place, Dawn has reported. The party has reportedly been offered confidence-building measures (CBMs) in backchannel negotiations with the government, which include shifting former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to medical facilities, and allowing family members to meet him.
However, it has also been communicated that the government will not permit the march, with preparations in place to deal with any potential unrest. PTI insiders claim the government has threatened transporters who supply buses and vans to protesters, causing some companies to refuse cooperation. The party's Naeem Haider Panjutha stated that the government has effectively shut down Islamabad, and that the party will come to reopen it, in line with the Islamabad High Court's orders.
Despite the government's denial of offering any CBMs, PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram emphasized that the party's march would be peaceful, and urged the government to engage opposition leaders Raja Nasir Abbas and Mehmood Khan Achakzai for negotiation. A senior PTI leader warned of uncertainty within the party, as the leadership and workers in various provinces remain unaware of the march strategy.
Recent police raids on ministers' homes, arrests of MNAs, MPAs, and union council leaders have raised concerns over the government's increasing control over the provincial police force.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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