'Protest everyone's right but minus Islamabad': Sanaullah says 'practice' of marches to capital should end

Prime Minister's Political Adviser Rana Sanaullah stated on Saturday that while every individual possesses the constitutional and legal right to protest, the act of staging long marches in Islamabad should cease. PTI had planned a nationwide protest, marching towards Islamabad to advocate for their founder Imran Khan's release from Adiala jail.

However, Chief Minister Muhammad Afridi postponed the march to October 4 after PTI did not submit an application for permission to the Islamabad administration. Sanaullah urged people to hold protests in cities such as Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Multan instead. He emphasized that this practice must end, as peaceful protest is a constitutional right, but it should not involve demonstrations in Islamabad, particularly in light of foreign diplomats' presence.

The PML-N leader accused PTI of attempting to overthrow the government, citing their intention to approach the IHC for guarantees, but not doing so. No streets in Islamabad, except those in the Red Zone and the M-1 Motorway, are closed for traffic; containers have been placed at road corners for safety purposes. Sanaullah claimed that PTI did not inform the Islamabad administration of their intentions or required guarantees, warning that any march pushing back law enforcement agencies or targeting D-Chowk would not be permitted.

The IHC ruled on September 14 that no political party or its leader has the lawful right to occupy public roads in Islamabad, and Punjab has imposed a two-month ban on gatherings and Section 144 restrictions.